Couple to appear in court today for alleged sextortion

A couple will appear in the Suva Magistrates Court today after being charged in relation to a case of alleged sextortion.

Police say on the 30th of June 2025, the victim had reported to the Online Safety Commission office that a couple was demanding money to pay for their rent, or they would release an explicit video they had obtained of him.

They say it is alleged that the victim was told that if he sent the money, the video would be deleted.

However, it is alleged that the couple demanded more money, which the victim sent as they continued to threaten to release the video.

Police say the couple allegedly threatened the victim to send money on several occasions where they managed to obtain over $1,800.

The Online Safety Commission Abuse team with their Police Liaison Officer, managed to locate the couple and they were handed over to Totogo Police for investigation.

The couple have been charged with one count each of Traffic Obscene Publication; Contrary to Section 377 (1) (a) of the Crime Act 2009 for recording the explicit video and was possession of it, a second count of Posting an Intimate Visual Recording; Contrary to Section 25 of the Online Safety Act 2018 for recording the explicit video without the victim’s consent, and a third count of Computer related extortion and Fraud; Contrary to Section 10 of the Cybercrime Act 2021 in which the couple obtained $1,841.00 through mobile money transaction and cash delivered personally.