Judge threatens to discharge porn website administrator accused of sextortion

The Accra Circuit Court judge has criticised the prosecution over ‘delays’ in the case against a porn website administrator accused of sextortion.

The not-too-happy judge, Sussana Eduful threatened to discharge the accused person, Anderson Ofosu Hene Amin if the prosecution persists in holding back the case.

She gave the state one month within which to file its disclosures. 

A disclosure is simply a stage of the litigation process when each party is required to disclose the documents that are relevant to the issues in dispute to the other party.

It normally takes place after each party has set out its position in their statement of case.

But till date, the police is yet to file their disclosures.

The police prosecutor, Princess Tetteh Boafo, pleaded with the court and assured the court of its preparedness.

She explained that the delay lies in the fact that the prosecution “is still gathering evidence against the accused person.”

The prosecutor also mentioned that the team is waiting for the advice from the Attorney General’s office.

Background

The administrator of Empressleak website was arrested for illegally publishing nude pictures and videos without the express permission of the owners.

The 35-year-old suspect, Anderson Ofosu Hene Amin, popularly known as Mario G, was arrested at his hideout in the Eastern Region.

His arrest follows a report made by a senior high school student on January 6, 2020 to the Cyber Crime Unit that her nude picture was published without her consent.

This was made known at a joint press briefing organised by the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Communications.

The Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, explained that the website in question has been noted for publishing child pornographic content for the past six years.

“Available evidence including witness statement showed that the website has been demanding money from unsuspecting victims before their content is pulled down.

“Analysis conducted by the National Cyber Crime Centre has revealed that the website has about 600,000 viewers monthly in Ghana, Nigeria, and the United States.

“On January 6, this year, the computer emergency response team of the cyber security agency received a report which led to his arrest on July 31,” she indicated.

The sector minister noted that the issue of sexual extortion, now known as ‘sextortion’ has become a common practice in the country.

Anderson Ofosu Hene Amin has since been charged with the offence of obscenity, child pornography, extortion of money and money laundering.

The publication of child pornographic content constitute a criminal offence and perpetrators are liable currently under section 136 of the electronic transaction Act 772, which states that a person who intentionally does any of the following acts:

a. Publishes child pornography through a computer

b. Produces or procures child pornographic for the purpose of its publication through a computer system

c. Possessing child child pornography on a computer system or electronic medium commits an offence.

In August, this year, the accused person was granted bail in the sum of GHc300,000 with two sureties with properties registered with either one or both names.

But the accused has not been able to meet his bail condition.

 

The court is yet to take the plea of the accused person but he has been charged with the offence of obscenity, child pornography, extortion and money laundering.

But pending the advice, his charges may increase or decrease. The case continues on November 16, 2020.