Global sextortion network busted: AFP, FBI and international partners arrest 22 in crackdown tied to teen suicides

Twenty-two men have been arrested in a global sextortion crackdown linked to the suicide of an Australian teen. Here’s how local police aided the probe.

Twenty-two people have been arrested in a sweeping international operation targeting a global sextortion ring, with critical support in the investigation coming from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Operation Artemis, a collaborative effort led by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation alongside the AFP, Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, targeted a sophisticated criminal syndicate believed to be responsible for sexually extorting thousands of teenagers worldwide.

Among those arrested in Nigeria were two suspects linked to the tragic suicide of a 16-year-old boy from New South Wales in 2023.

Initial inquiries by police after the boy committed suicide revealed the boy had been engaging with an unknown person online, who threatened to share personal photos with his family and friends if he did not pay $500.

The two men were arrested in a Nigerian slum in 2024 as part of Operation Artemis but Australia has no capacity to extradite the men, meaning they will be dealt with locally.

AFP officers have worked with international counterparts to destroy a sinister organised crime gang preying on young Australians with sextortion crimes. Picture

In the United States alone, over 20 teen suicides since 2021 have been connected to sextortion cases. While many victims were based in North America, Australia and several other nations were also impacted.

AFP officers deployed to Nigeria were instrumental in tracing online activity, identifying perpetrators, and assisting in victim recovery, while analysts from the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation supported international partners by examining seized data and ensuring local investigations weren’t compromised.

Two males have been arrested and charged in Nigeria over an alleged sextortion offence which led to an Australian boy taking his own life last year. Picture: Supplied via NCA NewsWire / NSW Police

Their collective efforts have already shown impact as in the 2023–2024 financial year, the ACCCE received over 58,000 reports of online child exploitation — 1,554 of which involved sextortion.

Following the arrests made under Operation Artemis, a noticeable decline in sextortion reports across Australia have been recorded.
However, AFP Acting Commander Ben Moses warned that threats to Australian children persist, and community reports of online abuse continue to surface.

Twenty-two people have been arrested in a sweeping international operation targeting a global sextortion ring. Picture: AFP

“This global operation sends a clear message to those who exploit children online. Law enforcement is united and determined to find you — no matter where you hide,” he said.

“These crimes are calculated and devastating, often pushing vulnerable young people into extreme distress. Thanks to the co-ordinated action of our partners, we achieved meaningful results including an immediate and significant reduction in sextortion reports across Australia.”

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Originally published as Global sextortion network busted: AFP, FBI and international partners arrest 22 in crackdown tied to teen suicides