A federal grand jury has indicted Aly Cherif, also known by various aliases including Australien Choco and Michael Jhonson, for his alleged involvement in a sextortion scheme that led to the death of a teenager from North Dakota. United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced the charges, which include cyberstalking resulting in death, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion, and distribution of child pornography.
The indictment claims that Cherif and others from the Ivory Coast were part of an organized group targeting victims worldwide through sextortion. This method involves coercing individuals into sending money under threats of releasing intimate images or videos. The group allegedly used false identities on social media to trick victims into sharing personal content.
In this case, the group reportedly used images of an attractive woman to create a fake Facebook account named "Emily Thompson." They contacted a North Dakota teenager through this account, pretending to be a 20-year-old woman from Montana. After obtaining compromising images and videos from the victim, they attempted extortion. When the victim could not pay, explicit images were distributed online. Tragically, the teenager later took their own life.
U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider stated: “The United States Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement are committed to obtaining a measure of justice for this family.” He emphasized that this case highlights greed and exploitation leading to tragedy and aims to deter similar actions while reminding families that help is available for sextortion victims.
Special Agent Alvin M. Winston Sr. remarked: "This case is a stark reminder of the dangers children face online," stressing ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies like the FBI to protect children from such threats.
An indictment serves as an accusation with no presumption of guilt until proven otherwise in court.
Authorities encourage anyone facing sextortion scams to report them via local FBI field offices at 1-800-CALL-FBI or consult resources provided by the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice online.
The investigation is being conducted by several agencies including the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek handling prosecution duties.
