CLIFF IN GERMANY. AND HOW HIS HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES REMEMBER HIM. ALL RIGHT, SEAN.
>> THEIR SON WAS A HIGH SCHOOL
STANDOUT THEN. HE WAS TARGETED,
THE VICTIM OF AN ONLINE
SEXTORTION SCHEME. AND SADLY, A
17 YEAR OLD, JORDAN DEMAY TOOK
HIS OWN LIFE. AND THAT WAS MARCH
OF 2022.
>> THEN JUST LAST MONTH, THE MEN
BEHIND THE EXTORTION WERE
INDICTED, AND NOW HIS PARENTS
WANT YOU TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED TO THEIR SON THAT
NIGHT. KIMBERLY GILL TRAVELED TO
MARQUETTE IN THE U.P. TO MEET
THEM. AND KIM, THEY TOLD YOU
THIS STORY IS SO IMPORTANT TO
GET OUT FOR OTHER PARENTS. IT
REALLY IS.
>> AND GOOD EVENING TO YOU GUYS.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I WAS SO
MOVED MEETING JENNIFER BUDDHA
AND JOHN DAME, THEY ARE SO
BRAVE. THEY FEEL STRONGLY IT’S
THEIR PURPOSE TO SHARE WHAT
HAPPENED TO THEIR SON, EVEN
THOUGH IT’S DIFFICULT TO TALK
ABOUT. THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW
WHAT SEXTORTION IS AND HOW FAST
IT HAPPENS SO YOU CAN TALK TO
YOUR CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY FEEL
IT COULD SAVE SOMEONE ELSE’S
LIFE. BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A
SENIOR YEAR.
>> IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS LAST
SEASON AT MARQUETTE HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT THAT’S SMILE, RIGHT? THERE
WAS CLASSIC JORDAN TEAM JORDAN.
>> DEMI’S PARENTS DESCRIBE ALL
THE THINGS THAT MADE THE SEVENTH
18 YEAR OLD SPECIAL.
>> JORDAN WAS A REALLY KIND
INDIVIDUAL. HE WAS VERY SOCIAL.
HE WAS INCLUSIVE WITH EVERYBODY.
THE KID DANCING AROUND THE
LOCKER ROOM, SMILING. HE PLAYED
SPORTS, WAS VERY INVOLVED IN
SPORTS. HE WAS A VERY
COMPASSIONATE YOUNG MAN WITH A
FUTURE AHEAD OF HIM.
>> JORDAN’S PROMISING FUTURE AND
PLEASANT PERSONALITY WAS THE
EXACT REASON HIS FAMILY BELIEVES
HE WAS TARGETED IN A SOCIAL
MEDIA SEXTORTION SCAM AND ONLY
TOOK A FEW EXCHANGES ON
INSTAGRAM TO CHANGE EVERY THING.
DID YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HE USED
SOCIAL MEDIA, OR WAS IT EVER A
PROBLEM?
>> WE MONITORED HIS TEXT
MESSAGES FOR A LONG TIME. WE
MONITORED HIS USAGE, HIS PHONE.
WE SET ALL THE PARENT
RESTRICTIONS THROUGH VERIZON AND
THROUGH APPLE AND EVERYTHING
THAT WE COULD DO. BUT AS HE GOT
OLDER, HE WAS SIX, SIX, SEVEN
WEEKS AWAY FROM HIS 18TH
BIRTHDAY. SO AT THAT POINT, IT
WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE’S GOING
TO BE AN ADULT. HE CAN MAKE HIS
DECISIONS HERE. SO CAN YOU TALK
ABOUT THE DAY OF THE TRAGEDY?
>> WHAT HAPPENED?
>> I HAD RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE
FROM JORDAN. THAT SAID, MOTHER,
I LOVE YOU, WHICH WASN’T OUT OF
THE ORDINARY. YOU KNOW, IT
DIDN’T SET OFF ANY ALARMS IN MY
HEAD THAT HE TEXTED ME DURING
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, BUT I
AS I WAS GETTING MYSELF READY
AND MY DAUGHTERS READY, I TEXTED
HIM BACK AND HE DIDN’T RESPOND.
AND WHEN HE DIDN’T RESPOND, I. I
KNEW THAT SOMETHING WASN’T
RIGHT.
>> SO SHE MESSAGED ME IN THE
MORNING AND JUST ASKED, HEY, IS
JORDAN AT YOUR HOUSE? DID HE GO
TO SCHOOL? SO I GOT UP AND I
PEEKED OUT THE WINDOW AND I SAW
HIS CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY, WHICH I
THOUGHT WAS ODD. SO I’M LIKE,
OH, HE SLEPT IN TODAY. AND
COMPLETELY NOT LIKE HIM. I THINK
HE’S ONLY MISSED THE BUS ONCE OR
TWICE. HIS ENTIRE SCHOOL AGE. SO
I WENT INTO HIS BEDROOM AND I
FOUND HIM IN HIS BEDROOM, IN HIS
BED.
>> JORDAN JUST WEEKS BEFORE
GRADUATION, JORDAN AND HIS 18TH
BIRTHDAY TOOK HIS OWN LIFE IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. I MEAN,
YOU DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING OUT OF
THE ORDINARY THAT NIGHT OR.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, I DID. HE SHOT
HIMSELF AT APPROXIMATELY 345 IN
THE MORNING, AND I HAPPENED TO
BE UP GOING TO THE RESTROOM AT
THE SAME TIME. AND I HEARD I
HEARD THE SHOT. I DIDN’T IT
DIDN’T COMPUTE WITH ME. I WAS,
YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT HALF SLEEPING. AND IT
STARTLED ME. AND I THOUGHT ABOUT
IT FOR A SECOND AND IT JUST IT
DIDN’T SOUND LIKE A GUNSHOT FOR
SURE. IT WAS JUST IT WAS LOUD
AND SO I DIDN’T KNOW IF HE JUST
KICKED SOMETHING OVER IN HIS
ROOM OR SPILLED SOMETHING OR
WHATEVER, YOU KNOW. AND SO I
JUST WENT BACK TO BED. SO
>> SO YOU SEE THAT THIS HAS
HAPPENED. THERE’S A PANIC. BUT
HOW DO YOU PUT IT TOGETHER FOR
THAT? IT WAS SOMETHING RELATED
TO BEING BULLIED AND IN THE
SEXTORTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> SO THE PEOPLE ALL THAT WERE
SPEAKING WITH JORDAN ON
INSTAGRAM, UM, THEY SENT ONE OF
THE PHOTOS TO JORDAN’S
GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME AND SHE
CONTACTED US AND LET US KNOW AND
WE LET THE DETECTIVES KNOW AND
THEY TOOK IT FROM THERE.
>> THE DETECTIVES DISCOVERED
JORDAN HAD BEEN SPEAKING TO
THREE MEN FROM NIGERIA WHO WERE
PRETENDING TO BE A TEENAGE GIRL
, ASKING FOR NUDE PHOTOS OF
JORDAN.
>> THEY WERE GROOMING HIM FOR
THOSE HOURS. SIMPLE
CONVERSATIONS SLOWLY PROGRESSING
INTO FULL JORDAN AND INTO MORE
SEXUAL TYPE CONVERSATIONS. AND
BASICALLY, WE GOT TO THE POINT
WHERE HE SENT A PICTURE OF
HIMSELF TO HER.
>> ONE OF THE MEN DEMANDED MONEY
FROM JORDAN WRITING, I WILL SEND
THESE NUDES TO EVERYONE. AND
ALSO SEND TO YOUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS UNTIL IT GOES VIRAL. ALL
YOU HAVE TO DO IS COOPERATE WITH
ME AND I WON’T EXPOSE YOU.
>> AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, IT
WAS LIGHTS OUT AND IT WAS A
LITTLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. AND THEN
THE TABLES TURNED AND THE
EXTORTION HAPPENED. AND THE
PRESSURE AND THEY THEY PUSHED
HIM HARD. LATER, JORDAN WROTE,
I’M GOING TO KILL MYSELF.
>> RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF YOU.
THEY REPLIED, I’D DO THAT FAST
OR I’LL MAKE YOU DO IT.
>> THESE THREE GUYS FROM THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET CAME
INTO MY HOME, SECURED, AND WHILE
WE WERE SLEEPING AND MURDERED MY
SON, HE SENT THEM $300.
>> I BELIEVE HE SENT THEM MONEY
MULTIPLE TIMES.
>> HOW LONG WAS THIS GOING ON?
DO DO DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA?
>> SIX HOURS. DID YOU EVEN KNOW
IT WAS A THING?
>> I DON’T KNOW THAT I EVEN KNEW
THAT THIS WAS EVEN. MAYBE WAY IN
THE BACK OF MY HEAD, BUT NOT TO
THIS EXTENT.
>> WHERE WHERE THEY ARE
PRESSURING YOU. YOUNG KIDS,
YOUNG ADULTS, AND ASKING FOR THE
AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT THEY ARE.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS GOING
TO THAT POINT AND THAT’S WHY
WE’RE HERE.
>> I THINK WE NEED TO BE THE
VOICE FOR THE PARENTS WHO EITHER
CAN’T TALK ABOUT THIS OR MAYBE
HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT
BRINGING THIS TO THE PUBLIC.
THERE’S A LOT OF EMBARRASSMENT
IN THIS STUFF. BUT, YOU KNOW, IN
OUR CASE, IT’S JUST THIS IS THE
STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD AND
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS,
ESPECIALLY PARENTS, BECAUSE THEY
DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON. I
CAN’T SAVE HIM, BUT MAYBE WE CAN
SAVE SOME OTHER KIDS BY SHARING
HIS STORY.
>> IT IS HEARTBREAKING. WELL,
JENNIFER AND JOHN HAVE HEARD
FROM MANY MORE FAMILIES WHO ARE
FACING SIMILAR SITUATIONS, WHOSE
KIDS ARE BEING SEX THWARTED. AND
IT HAPPENS FAST. SOMETIMES JUST
2 OR 3 HOURS COMING UP AT SIX.
THEIR CRUCIAL ADVICE FOR PARENTS
AND WHAT THEY WISH JORDAN WOULD
HAVE KNOWN. IT’S JUST
DEVASTATING.
>> AND BACK WHEN WE REPORTED IT,
I HAD NO IDEA HOW CONDENSED.
>> I DIDN’T REALIZE THIS ALL
JUST WENT SO QUICKLY, SO FAST.
SO WHERE’S THE CRIMINAL CASE
NOW? STANDS. YEAH. SO THERE ARE
THREE MEN FROM NIGERIA.
>> THEY’RE BEING EXTRADITED HERE
TO FACE CHARGES. IT’S UNCLEAR
HOW QUICKLY THAT WILL HAPPEN.
THEY’RE ACCUSED OF NOT JUST
EXTORTING EXTORTING JORDAN, BUT
ALSO MORE THAN 100 OTHER
TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS. SO
THIS IS NOT THE ONLY CASE, THAT
SEXTORTION IS A HUGE, HUGE
PROBLEM. SO HEARTBREAKING. IT IS
AN AND, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST DON’T
KNOW HOW BIG OF A DEAL IT IS.
AND HE PROBABLY FELT
EMBARRASSED, TOO, ONCE IT GOT SO
FAR TO COME AND TELL HIS PARENTS
WHAT IT WOULD DO TO THE FAMILY.
>> YEAH. YEAH.
>> AND WE KNOW THE STORY IS SO
MUCH WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO
REMIND YOU WE’VE GOT THE NUMBER
ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. THE
SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE IS
ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. YOU