The man convicted in a sextortion case that led a San Jose teen to take his own life was sentenced Thursday.
Ryan Last, 17, died by suicide in 2023 after someone began threating to release compromising photos unless the victim paid them.
The ensuing investigation not only led to an arrest, but it helped highlight a growing scheme spanning the globe.
Jonathan Kassi was sentenced to 18 months in jail, and another 18 on supervised release.
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Investigators say Kassi and a co-conspirator posed as a teen girl online and sent Last a racy picture. Then asked for one in return.
When Last sent it, the two began threatening to send the compromising photo to his family and friends unless he paid them $5,000.
As pressure mounted the teen ultimately took his own life in February of 2022.
At the sentencing Thursday, Last’s mother said she wakes up everyday hoping it was all a nightmare, telling the suspect and the court that her family is forever changed.
“It could happen to anyone. I know families and I’ve talked to people that knew Ryan's story and it still happened to them,” said Pauline Stuart, Last’s mother. “So we need to continue to have these conversations with our kids.”
Kassi will be released soon because of his time already served.
But over the next year and a half while on parole, police will be able to search all of his devices and social media accounts at any time to make sure he isn't targeting others.
“Of course I would love more time but, extortion is different when it ends in somebody’s life, but of course there’s no laws for that now,” said Stuart. “So right now, I just want it so he can’t do this to anybody else.”
Investigators say Kassi was part of a larger financial sextortion scheme based in the Ivory Coast and he has sexually exploited kids online pretending to be a teen girl, using the usernames “Emillysmith" and "Kassijonathan" on social media.
The FBI said predators are increasingly using social media sites to prey on minors, typically targeting kids between 14 and 17 years old.
“I’d also like to thank the SJPD for their investigation. This is at least the first time in this county that something like this has been prosecuted and the person has been convicted for this type of crime,” said Santa Clara County Deputy DA, Marina Mankatyous.
It's a crime that's growing.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received more than 10,000 sextortion-related reports just last year.
For Last’s mother, the future involves devoting much of her time to make sure no other family ever has to go through this.
“It devastated us, and we need to turn it around to try and help as many people as we can,” she said.
