Authorities announced Friday that Adebola Festus Adekumle has been extradited from Nigeria to the United States to face charges in connection with the sextortion case that led to the death of Starkville teenager Walker Montgomery.
Montgomery, 16, died by suicide in 2022 after an online predator threatened to release explicit videos of him when he refused to send money. The investigation revealed that the suspect, believed to be overseas, had targeted multiple teens in the Starkville area, prompting an FBI investigation.
At a news conference, officials said Adekumle was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jane M. Virden in the Northern District of Mississippi. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District, the FBI, and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office announced the arrest.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch expressed her condolences and emphasized the impact of Montgomery’s death. “Walker Montgomery should be here with us today,” Fitch said. “He should be moving into his dormitory, meeting friends, and attending classes. It is a tragedy that he is not, and it is because of criminal acts committed by someone overseas — now brought here to stand trial.”
Following Montgomery’s death, Mississippi enacted laws to combat sextortion, including the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, passed unanimously in 2024. The law requires social media platforms to implement measures, such as age verification, to prevent children from exposure to harmful content. However, trade groups like NetChoice have challenged the legislation, claiming it infringes on constitutional rights and online privacy.
Fitch highlighted the dangers social media pose to teens’ mental health and said the industry is under pressure to change. “Parents are up against the best engineers at the largest companies with the deepest pockets,” she said. The attorney general also noted recent industry settlements, including age-gating measures by Roblox and Meta, and vowed to continue pushing for industry-wide reforms in honor of Montgomery.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
