- Two students at KNUST were detained for allegedly engaging in a 'sextortion' scheme
- The accused obtained an explicit video of a former KNUST student
- The accused used an anonymous phone number to send threatening messages
Two students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) find themselves in police custody after being accused of collaborating to commit the crime of ‘sextortion.’
Jerome Enyam, 19, residing in Fijai, and Ebenezer Adam, also 19, from Kojokrom, both second-year students at KNUST in Kumasi, have been remanded into custody for their alleged involvement in an offense that violates both the Criminal Offenses Act and the Cyber Security Act.
During proceedings at the Takoradi Circuit Court, presided over by Her Ladyship Harriet Charway, Prosecuting Officer D/SGT Robert Mensah detailed the accusations against the defendants.
According to Mensah, the accused individuals, who were classmates and friends of the victim, Rhyndolf Owusu Hammond, 20, formerly a KNUST student and son of the complainant, Mr. Stephen Owusu Hammond, purportedly engaged in illicit activities during the first quarter of 2023.
The prosecution outlined how the complainant’s son had recorded a private moment with his girlfriend, storing the footage on his laptop. Subsequently, a close friend of the victim, Ekow Wilson, inadvertently transferred the video onto his personal phone.
Exploiting this opportunity, one of the accused allegedly transferred the explicit video to his own phone without Wilson’s knowledge or consent, and then shared it with others.
The accused individuals, situated in Takoradi within the jurisdiction of the court, allegedly proceeded to harass, threaten, intimidate, and coerce the victim and his girlfriend.
They purportedly demanded GH¢1,800.00 from the victim, threatening to release the video on social media platforms if he didn’t comply.
The prosecution further asserted that on November 7, 2023, the accused jointly sent a text message to the victim, using an anonymous Vodafone contact number, falsely claiming possession of an intimate video and demanding GH¢2,500.00 as ransom.
Upon learning of these incidents, the victim informed his father, who subsequently reported the matter to the Police Intelligence Directorate in Takoradi, leading to the arrest of the accused individuals.
Police investigators seized cell phones containing the incriminating video footage as part of their investigation, ultimately resulting in the formal charging of the accused persons with the relevant offenses.
