The Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in collaboration with personnel from the National Cyber Security Centre has apprehended a level-100 university student they suspect is the owner of two pornographic websites being operated in the country.
Suspect Joseph Asante, aka King Pluto, a resident of Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region, is alleged to have published over 200 nude pictures and videos of individuals, including teenagers, and using them to extort cash from relatives of the victims.
He has provisionally being charged with obscenity, child pornography and extortion; and has been granted police enquiry bail awaiting trial.
Confirming how the suspect was arrested to the DAILY GUIDE, the Director in charge Cyber Crime Unit, ACP Dr. Gustav Herbert Yankson, said around June last year after the COVID-19 lockdown, cases of publication of obscene pictures/videos and extortion based on such images reported to the Cyber Crime Unit increased.
“The Cyber Crime Unit of the CID headquarters, through intelligence, gathered that two channels on telegram by name Hotstage and Leaks were notoriously known for the publication of such images,” he said.
He said the Cyber Crime Unit in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre embarked on further intelligence gathering to clump down on the administrators of such platforms.
“On the December 2, 2020 the owner of both platforms by name Joseph Asante, aka King Pluto, a level-100 university student, was arrested at his residence at Nkwakwa and preliminary investigation revealed that he had posted over 200 nude pictures and videos since these channels were created.
“He is also currently involved in five cases of sex image extortions in which his channel facilitated the commission of the crimes,” the Cyber Crime Unit Boss added.
ACP Dr. Yankson continued that some other posts involving the advertisement of WAEC examination papers was also discovered at the time of arrest and investigations were currently ongoing to arrest all accomplices.
He added that apart from the provisional charges leveled against the suspect, the police were also charging suspect for illegal possession of knowledge or use of examination papers, and efforts were underway to take down such channel to prevent future abuse.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)