19-Year-Old Arrested for Exploiting Minors with Videos in Maharashtra

A 19-year-old man from Paratwada in Maharashtra's Amravati district was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly sexually exploiting numerous minor girls, recording over 350 obscene videos without their consent, and sharing the material online to blackmail and defame them. The suspect, identified as Ayan Ahmed alias Tanveer Ahmed, faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the Information Technology Act, and Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with police remanding him to custody until April 21.

Authorities stated that Ahmed befriended minor girls through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Snapchat, building trust before assaulting them and capturing the acts on video. He then allegedly used the recordings to coerce victims into further compliance, including threats of public exposure or forced prostitution, and distributed some content on social media and pornographic websites. While allegations suggest up to 180 victims, police have confirmed eight who have come forward, with forensic analysis of seized mobile devices and electronics ongoing to identify others and recover deleted files.

A second suspect, Ujer Khan Iqbal Khan, was also...