Man jailed for sharing friend’s ‘indecent’ images with her fiancé

A man in Karachi has been sentenced to six years in jail for sending indecent photos of a friend to her fiancé.

Judicial Magistrate (East) Yusra Ashfaq sentenced Muhammad Anas to a total of six years in prison on three counts for sharing indecent images and videos of a female friend with her fiancé on WhatsApp in an attempt to blackmail her.

The magistrate stated that the convict has been found guilty of the offences under Sections 20 (dignity of a natural person), 21 (modesty of a natural person and minor), and 24 (cyberstalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. Thus, he was given a two-year imprisonment on each count.

In the complaint, the woman told the FIA Cyber Crime Cell that in 2019, she had a relationship with Anas and was forced to share her private images and videos with him on his demand.

The convict never sent a marriage proposal for the complainant, so when she got engaged to someone else, Anas allegedly retaliated by sharing her indecent images and videos with her fiancé, sister, and aunt on their WhatsApp numbers.

The court observed in the final verdict, “The primary motive behind the accused’s actions appears to be rooted in exploiting the complainant’s trust and personal relationship to coerce and blackmail her. The complainant testified that she was in a relationship with the accused for several years, during which she voluntarily shared private images and videos with him.”

Moreover, the court mentioned that the convict “later weaponised that material by sharing it with her fiancé and family members, violating her privacy and dignity.

“It confirms that obscene images and videos of the complainant were indeed transmitted from the accused’s device. The technical report substantiates that the device recovered from the accused was used for the transmission, making the forensic examination a pivotal aspect of the case. The importance of forensic examination in this case cannot be overstated,” the court added. 

The verdict further read that “this act of distribution suggests an intent to harm the complainant emotionally and socially, possibly as a means of revenge or control, following the breakdown of their relationship. The evidence presented, including the complainant’s testimony and forensic analysis, underscores this motive.”