Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Global Sextortion Scheme Targeting Children

A 29-year-old man living in Australia has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for orchestrating a horrific global sextortion scheme that targeted hundreds of victims across 20 countries, with most victims being children under the age of 16.

Ars Technica reports that Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen Rasheed, currently living in Australia, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in what police are calling “one of the worst sextortion cases in history.” Rasheed, who pleaded guilty to 119 charges involving 286 people, posed as a famous teenage YouTuber to gain the trust of his victims before blackmailing them into providing sexual content.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP), in coordination with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and INTERPOL, launched an investigation into Rasheed’s activities in 2019 after receiving a tip from police in Leon County, Florida. The investigation revealed that Rasheed had targeted at least 180 children under the age of 16, among his total of 286 victims spanning 20 countries.

Rasheed’s modus operandi involved targeting girls and women on social media who had public friends lists. He would convince them that he was a well-known YouTuber and, once he had gained their trust, would bombard the chat with sexual fantasies. Rasheed would then doctor screenshots of the chats to make it appear as if the victim had engaged with the explicit messages. Using these manipulated screenshots, he would threaten to send them to the victim’s friends unless they quickly shared sexual content, often setting a “countdown timer” to increase the pressure.

The demands made by Rasheed were increasingly horrific and degrading, with some victims being forced to engage in distressing sexual acts involving family pets or other young children at home. He would store and sometimes livestream the videos, once to as many as 98 adults. Even when victims became suicidal and shared images of self-harm, Rasheed persisted with his demands.

During sentencing, district court judge Amanda Burrows described Rasheed’s offenses as being of “a degrading, humiliating nature” and noted that “the conduct involving a family pet” was “particularly abhorrent.” The judge also highlighted the fact that Rasheed had participated in “incel” online communities, which promote misogynistic views and the belief that women are inferior and owe men sex. Rasheed had shared sextortion strategies and details of vulnerable children with other men in these forums.

AFP assistant commissioner David McLean emphasized the sadistic nature of Rasheed’s actions, stating that his “abhorrent actions and callous disregard for his victims’ obvious distress, humiliation, and fear made it one of the most horrific sextortion cases prosecuted in Australia.” The judge concurred, extending Rasheed’s sentence to serve as a deterrent to others and acknowledging the life-long trauma that his many victims would likely suffer.

Rasheed will be eligible for parole as early as 2033. The information about other offenders in contact with Rasheed has been shared with law enforcement agencies in multiple countries, as the AFP continues its efforts to combat online sexual exploitation and bring perpetrators to justice.

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