KARACHI: A judicial magistrate has remanded a student in an alleged child pornography case.

The Federal Investigation Agency had arrested a suspect for his alleged involvement in cyber stalking and spamming and registered a case under Sections 21 (cyber stalking) and 22 (spamming) of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.

The investigating officer produced the suspect before a judicial magistrate (South) and requested for his remand for interrogation and investigation.

The IO submitted that a citizen on Nov 27 lodged a complaint, alleging that the suspect had taken some pictures of his 16-year-old son and shared with residents of the area. He said that the suspect was still blackmailing them.

It was further submitted during an inquiry that various pictures and videos related to child pornography were seized from the suspect, who is a final year BBA student.

During the initial probe, it transpired that the suspect had made pornographic photos and videos of 10 children, aged between 10 and 13 years, the IO said.

He had made several fake Facebook and Instagram accounts and created virtual WhatsApp groups through which he invited and added underage children, he added.

The IO further submitted that after creating pornographic videos involving minors, the suspect blackmailed the children and their families for money.

He submitted that complaints against an unknown group that used around 12 to 13 children for pornography had been received, adding that the material had been collected against the held suspect. The magistrate remanded the suspect in the custody of the FIA for seven days.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2018