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By Sabeeh Zanair :
Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) in a disturbing case of online child exploitation, accusing a Rawalpindi resident of grooming and blackmailing minors through fake social media accounts.
According to the FIR filed at the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad, investigators allege that the suspect created multiple fraudulent Instagram profiles to trap children online. Some of these accounts reportedly posed as scholarship programs, a tactic used to gain the trust of minors and initiate contact.
Authorities said the suspect targeted two minor boys, slowly manipulating them into sharing obscene and sexually explicit images and videos. The material was later used to blackmail the victims, with threats that the content would be made public if they did not comply with further demands.
The case was registered following the completion of NCCIA Enquiry, which found evidence of systematic online grooming. Investigators also alleged that the suspect attempted to illegally access the victims’ Instagram and WhatsApp accounts by requesting verification codes, a method commonly used to take over social media profiles.
During a forensic examination of the suspect’s seized mobile phone, officials said they recovered hundreds of files containing child sexual abuse material. The device also contained records of repeated communication with multiple WhatsApp numbers, suggesting wider activity beyond the reported victims.
Investigators further traced an Easypaisa account allegedly linked to the accused. Authorities believe the account may have been used for the sharing and possible sale of exploitative content, both within Pakistan and internationally.
Further investigation found that the suspect also targeted another minor through a separate fake Instagram account while impersonating a female, obtaining explicit material and illegally acquiring the child’s WhatsApp verification code. Digital records from Meta confirmed that the fake accounts were registered to phone numbers linked to the accused and were operated from the same mobile device and internet connection.
Investigators also found that the accused was using a modified smartphone with an illegally altered IMEI number, an offence that falls under electronic forgery laws in Pakistan. NCCIA officials said the investigation is ongoing and aims to identify other suspects, facilitators and possible victims linked to the network.
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