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A Pakistani man posing as a famous YouTuber blackmailed hundreds of young girls around the globe into performing sexual acts on camera. He has been jailed for 17 years in Australia.

Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen Rasheed pleaded guilty to 119 charges relating to 286 people from 20 countries, including the UK, the US, Japan and France. Notably, two-thirds of his victims were aged under 16.

A court in Australia heard the case in which 29-year-old Zain was found guilty of coercing the victims into a cycle of abuse by threatening to send explicit messages and images of them to their loved ones.

Australian authorities say it is “one of the worst sextortion cases” in their national history.

“The callous disregard this man had for his victims around the world and their distress, humiliation and fear make it one of the most horrific sextortion cases prosecuted in Australia,” said Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner David McLean.

Judge Amanda Burrows said Rasheed’s offence was of such magnitude that, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), there was “no comparable case” in the country.

Zain-ul-Abideen used to pretend to be a 15-year-old American internet star and would strike up a conversation with his targets and then involve them in discussions related to sexual fantasies.

He would then threaten them to send their responses to friends and family unless they performed a series of escalating, “degrading” sex acts – which at times also included family pets and other children in their home.

The judge was told about Zain being involved in misogynistic “incel” communities online and on several occasions, had invited other people – in one case as many as 98 – to watch the distressing acts on a live stream.

Many of the children told him that they were experiencing suicidal thoughts. One of them sent images of self-harm, but Rasheed continued his blackmail despite the children’s “obvious distress” and “extreme fear”, the judge pointed out.

The accused was arrested after Australian authorities were contacted by Interpol and US investigators. He was then charged in 2020 after a police raid on his home.

Rasheed is already serving a five-year prison term for sexually abusing a 14-year-old twice in his car outside a Perth park.

The court heard he is engaged in a sex offender treatment programme, but Rasheed still carries a high risk of reoffending. The court also ruled that he will only be eligible to apply for parole in August 2033.

Update

Terrorist organisation Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Thursday released footage of a senior army officer and his brothers, were kidnapped from Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday, and set out demands for the release of the Colonel.

The officer and his brothers were kidnapped from a mosque in their native area where they were receiving condolences on the death of their father.

In the videos, two of the abducted men first assured viewers that the men were “safe and sound, and far away from government-controlled areas.”

“We are in the custody of the Taliban. We request the government to accept their demands as soon as possible to ensure our release,” said the two men.

Interestingly, both men emphasised to their relatives not to post anything about their kidnapping on social media and only contact higher authorities to accept TTP’s demands.

Journalist Iftikhar Firdous revealed that the TTP has demanded the release of several TTP affiliates, including Latif Mehsud, who was jailed by the United States in Bagram in 2013, and Muslim Khan, who is the former spokesman of TTP in Swat.

Firdous also stated that Rs 30 million in ransom and some more TTP affiliates are included in the “demanded prisoners swap.”

In the footage, two militants can be seen standing behind the victims, bearing rifles.

There has been no official statement by the ISPR.

Previous

An army officer and two of his brothers were kidnapped on August 28 from Dera Ghazi Khan by unknown men while they were meeting with people who had come to offer condolences on their father’s death, Dawn News has reported.

The officer’s two brothers were serving in the Cantonment Board Head Office, Rawalpindi, and the other was working for the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Reportedly, they were in a mosque in Mohalla Khadr Khel of Kalachi tehsil, receiving people who’d come to offer their condolences on their father’s demise, when suspected militants came and forcefully took them away.

The three officers had come to their ancestral land for funeral prayers of their father, which was offered on Tuesday.

A few weeks ago, in a separate incident on August 1, a private security company’s van carrying Rs40 million was hijacked by armed suspects. The militants later released the hostages and fled with the cash.

Likewise, on April 27, District and Sessions Judge South Waziristan Shakir Ullah Marwat was abducted by unidentified kidnappers on Dera Ismail Khan’s Tank Road; however, he was later released. Journalist Azaz Syed alleged that the judge was released after the KP government paid five crores to terrorists as extortion.

Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted a seven-day protective pre-arrest bail to Danish Iqbal, the husband of Natasha Danish, the suspect in the Karsaz accident case.

The court directed Danish Iqbal to furnish a solvent surety of Rs50,000 or surrender himself before the trial court before September 4.

Danish Iqbal, through his counsel, told the high court that even though the suspect had been arrested, the applicant had also been named during the investigation. His lawyer contended that the police had been raiding Danish’s home and other places to arrest him while there was nothing to connect him with the alleged offence.

The lawyer contended that investigating officer of the case sent letters to provide documents about ownership of the vehicle registered with Danish’s company and they were provided to the officer but he again sent a notice under Section 160 of the Pakistan Penal Code for similar purpose and with an ulterior motive.

Read more: What will Natasha be charged with now that an illegal substance has been found in her medical report?

Danish’s counsel sought a two-week protective bail to enable the applicant to approach the IO and join the investigation.

After a preliminary hearing, Justice Muhammad Saleem Jesser, in his order, said: “Prima facie, without dilating upon the merits and demerits of the case, applicant Danish Iqbal, son of Iqbal Ali Mohammad is now granted protective pre-arrest bail in crime No.229/2024, under Sections 320, 337-G, 279, 247 PPC read with Section 322 PPC, registered with PS Bahadurabad, Karachi, for seven days subject to furnishing his solvent surety in the sum of Rs.50,000 and PR bond in the like amount to the satisfaction of Nazir of this court”.

It added that this bail shall cease to have effect on September 4 or whenever the applicant approaches/surrenders before the court having jurisdiction, whichever is earlier.

The prosecution had claimed that Natasha Danish has been accused of recklessly driving the Toyota Land Cruiser in an accident near Karsaz on August 19.

Who is Danish Iqbal?

Danish Iqbal is the chief executive officer of Gul Ahmed Energy Limited while the Toyota Land Cruiser that hit people was registered in the name of the company.

Read more: Karsaz accident case: All you need to know