Phone hacking scandal: suspect demanded nude videos

By Bhagya Silva  

A young man, accused of intimidating young women by demanding nude videos for the past three years, was ordered to be remanded till March 6 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama yesterday.  

The suspect was taken into custody and produced before the court by the Computer Crime Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department.  

Assistant Police Inspector appearing in court, stated that the suspect had illegally accessed the mobile phones of young women using fake internet connections and unauthorized phone access. He further added that the suspect had downloaded nude videos and sent messages to the victims via WhatsApp, demanding such videos and threatened to release existing videos online if the victims failed to comply.  

According to the police, the investigation was initiated following complaints in 2023 from two young women in the Kalutara and Panadura areas.  

The suspect carried out these crimes using untraceable phone connections and internet services, including Facebook and WhatsApp. The suspect was arrested after information was obtained from Facebook in accordance with a court order.  

Additionally, the magistrate directed the prison authorities to obtain a full medical report on the suspect’s mental condition.