South Mumbai minor trapped in sextortion nightmare by UK-based predator

What began as an innocent online friendship turned into a nightmare for a minor girl from South Mumbai after a man operating a mobile number registered in the United Kingdom allegedly blackmailed her into sending obscene photographs and threatened to leak them on social mediaThe incident came to light after the girlrsquos family noticed a sudden change in her behaviour A school student she travelled alone to school and tuition classes Her mother had allowed her a mobile phone for study purposes during which she received a WhatsApp call from a 44 number mdash the international dialling code for the UKThe caller introducing himself as a friend gradually gained her trust ldquoAfter realising she was young he deliberately began bonding with her initiating regular chats and callsrdquo said an officer from JJ Marg police station Over time the accused manipulated her into sending an obscene image of herselfOnce he had the material his tone changed drastically ldquoHe began blackmailing her threatening to make the image viral if she didnrsquot send more explicit photos When she hesitated he used fear of public shame to pressure herrdquo the officer addedThe girl was emotionally distressed and was soon noticed by her parents On checking her phone they found the explicit exchanges She broke down and narrated the entire episode following which her father approached JJ Marg police stationA case has been registered under Section 782 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS Sections 11 12 and 15 of the POCSO Act and Section 67A of the IT Act for transmitting sexually explicit materialPreliminary investigations revealed that the WhatsApp account carried the profile name UK Business and the number was UKregistered The incidents reportedly took place between September 27 and 30Police are now working with telecom companies and cybercrime experts to trace the number ldquoWe suspect the accused may be operating from overseas using spoofed or virtual numbers but further technical analysis is underwayrdquo an officer saidExpert viewsRitesh Bhatia cybercrime investigator said ldquoThis is a shocking case of online grooming but sadly not uncommon Predators manipulate minors blackmail them and in some cases push them towards suicidal thoughts Parents must immediately approach police silence only empowers the criminalAt the same time schools cannot treat this as optional they must educate both parents and children about grooming sextortion and bullying Unless families schools and law enforcement act together more children will continue to sufferrdquoDr Rashmi JoshiShetty Consultant Psychiatrist ldquoIn counselling we focus on listening understanding their emotional state and gathering background information Without timely intervention these children may fall into a deep emotional vacuumrdquoShe stressed that no one is immune to cybercrime ldquoTelling them lsquoYoursquore not foolishrsquo is important the guilt or shame they feel is misplaced Just like road accidents happen without warning these crises can also hit unexpectedlyrdquoAccording to her the first step for families is to ldquokill the shame and seek help Provide emotional first aid clarify their feelings listen without judgment Victims may feel betrayed cheated or inferior but this is not their fault Left unchecked they risk PTSD or even suicidal thoughtsrdquoldquoSuch incidents are increasingly common and often appear attractive to youngstersrdquo she added ldquoCommunication in the family is crucial if not parents then siblings teachers or friends Many donrsquot even realise they need help but some may require urgent psychological supportrdquoDigital Safety Dorsquos amp DonrsquotsDorsquosgtgt Have open conversations about internet safetygtgt Monitor apps chats and accounts used by your childgtgt Educate them about grooming bullying and extortiongtgt Teach them to say ldquoNordquo and report suspicious chatsgtgt Use parental controls and monitoring toolsgtgt Know their online friends as you would their offline onesDonrsquotgtgt Donrsquot assume techsavvy kids ldquoknow betterrdquogtgt Donrsquot allow unchecked privacy on devicesgtgt Donrsquot ignore sudden behavioural changes mdash they can be red flagsgtgt Donrsquot treat digital safety as a onetime talk make it ongoing