18-Year-Old Arrested for Exploiting and Extorting Girls through Facebook.

Bangkok: Police in Region 5 have apprehended an 18-year-old man involved in a heinous scheme of exploitation and extortion using social media. The suspect, identified through his activities on Facebook, targeted children and young women, coercing them into undressing and recording the acts on video. He then used these recordings as leverage to extort money from the victims' parents. According to Thai News Agency, the arrest took place at the suspect's residence in Sai Mai District, Bangkok, after law enforcement officials discovered his online interactions with young female victims. The man manipulated these victims into disrobing and captured the moments on video. Subsequently, he contacted their parents, demanding money under the threat of releasing the videos on social media if the ransom was not paid. The latest known victims were two sisters, aged 13 and 14, from Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province. Their parents, after agreeing to pay, reported the crime to the authorities. Upon examining the suspec t's mobile phone, officers uncovered evidence of 19 victims and 259 video clips. The suspect admitted to retaining the clips for personal reasons, denying any distribution or sale. He was transported to Mae Sai Police Station, where he faces charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.