KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency on Sunday claimed to have arrested a suspect for alleged sexual harassment and blackmailing of a lady schoolteacher through social media, said FIA cyber crime deputy director Abdul Ghaffar.

The FIA received an application from the schoolteacher, resident of Gulbahar on Feb 27, stating that the suspect, a resident of Nazimabad, was allegedly harassing and threatening her after he had allegedly coerced her and took obscene videos/pictures of her after developing friendship with her on Facebook.

The FIA registered an FIR (No 07/2020) under Sections 20, 21, and 24 of The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016 and conducted a raid at a place near an ice cream shop in Nazimabad no1 and arrested the suspect.

“In the initial technical analysis of his mobiles, obscene photos and videos and blackmailing messages were found present.”

“He has shared obscene images/videos to the victim’s brother and cousin.”

The senior officer said that the obscene images/videos of other girls were also recovered from his mobile phone.

The digital and circumstantial evidences showed that the held suspect was involved in commission of offences punishable under the said sections.

According to contents of the FIR, the schoolteacher developed friendship with the held suspect on Facebook around three years ago.

They used to talk on the social media for three to four months and after establishing trust, she shared her Whatsapp number with him.

“With the passage of time, they became friends and used to meet in restaurants. After that he started blackmailing her on the basis of her videos.”

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2020