Media Advisory
In collaboration with the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Ivorian Government, two additional suspects have been identified from Ivory Coast responsible for the tragic death of Ryan Last in the 2022 San José Police Department sextortion case that garnered national attention.
On February 26, 2022, at approximately 8:00 AM, San José Police Department Officers responded to a report of a suicide at a residence located in the city of San José. The preliminary investigation revealed that the male juvenile, Ryan Last, had been a victim of a West African financial sextortion scheme.
SJPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Detectives began an investigation and identified Jonathan Kassi as the primary suspect. On December 15, 2022, Suspect Kassi was taken into custody in the city of Van Nuys by the Los Angeles Police Department. Suspect Kassi was transported to the city of San José where he was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail for crimes related to extortion.
During the investigation, Detectives determined that Suspect Kassi acted as a middleman who was sending the extorted money to an unidentified suspect in the Ivory Coast. SJPD ICAC Detectives continued to bring attention to the severity of the case and the prevalence of the sextortion scheme by conducting presentations across the nation. These presentations caught the attention of the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (DOJ CEOS), and Meta.
SJPD ICAC Detectives subsequently led a coordinated effort with the agencies to ensure that all individuals involved in Ryan Last’s tragic death were identified and held accountable.
On April 26, 2025, the DOJ CEOS notified SJPD ICAC Detectives that the Ivorian Government arrested a suspect in the Ivory Coast who received payments from Suspect Jonathan Kassi. These payments were the ones Ryan Last had paid Suspect Kassi minutes before he took his own life. The suspect arrested was identified as Ouedraogo Oumarou. On April 29, 2025, the Ivorian Government informed DOJ CEOS that they had located and arrested another associated suspect, Alfred Kassi, who was also an Ivorian citizen, and the primary online communicator who was extorting Ryan Last.
“Crime knows no boundaries, but that does not stop our Detectives in their efforts and dedication to catching those responsible for exploiting victims, even if they are overseas," stated San José Police Department Chief of Police Paul Joseph. "Our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Detectives have done an outstanding job bringing attention to this tragic case that led to the death of an innocent victim. This determination by San José Police Department Detectives to seek justice, combined with the assistance of the US Attorney’s Office, helped us gain the cooperation of an overseas government agency to hold these international criminals accountable.”
About the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force:
The Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (SVICAC) is led by the San José Police Department, and expands from Monterey to Napa County and involves over 100 Bay Area agencies and over 300 members. SVICAC helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. In 2024, SVICAC received 13,451 CyberTips related to reports of child sexual assault. SVICAC also completed the review of thousands of CyberTips and conducted over 416 proactive investigations, resulting in over 429 arrests, rescued 68 children from ongoing sexual abuse, identified 88 child survivors with their sexual abuse material online, and conducted over 2,780 digital forensic examinations. At least 15% of the arrests made by SVICAC resulted in rescuing children from ongoing sexual abuse in 2024.
Beyond investigations, SVICAC is also dedicated to outreach, education, and prevention. In 2024, the task force conducted nearly 1,000 community activities, reaching over 16,000 people to raise awareness and provide critical education on online child safety. For more information about SVICAC, please visit: www.svicac.org or www.icactaskforce.org.
Anyone with information about this case or similar cases is asked to contact Detective Sergeant O'Grady #4290 of the San José Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force via email: 4290@sanjoseca.gov or 408-277-3214.
Submit crime tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org. If the information you submit leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.
By: Stacie Shih #1559N
Authorized by: Lieutenant Tassio #3872
