University student granted bail for posting nude pictures on social media

Police have granted police enquiry bail to a university student for allegedly posting nude pictures and videos on social media platforms, and sex image extortion.

The suspect, Joseph Asante also known as, King Pluto, a level 100 student of the University(name withheld) was said to have posted more than 200 nude pictures and videos.

The Director of the Cyber Crime Unit and Child Protection Digital and Forensic Laboratory, Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP) Gustav Herbert Yankson, disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in Accra, yesterday.

He said during the post Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in the country cases of publication of obscene picture,videos and extortion were on the increase.

ACP Yankson said in June,last year, 2020, the CyberCrime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department(CID), headquarters,realised that two channels on telegram (social media) by name hotstage and leaks, were publishing nude images.

He said the unit in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre embarked on further investigations to clamp down on the administrators of the platforms. Asante was arrested at his residence at Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region.

ACP Yankson stated that apart from posting nude images on social media, Asante was involved in five cases of sex image extortion in which his channel facilitated the commission of the crimes.

He said other posting involving the advertisement of West African Examination Council(WAEC) papers were also discovered at the time of arrest.

ACP Yankson said all accomplices where being sought by the police, adding that suspect would be charged for offences of obscenity,child pornography, extortion and illegal possession, knowledge or use of examination papers.