Perth Man Sentenced for Global Sextortion Scheme

Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen Rasheed, a 29-year-old man from Perth, Australia, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for a massive sextortion scheme that victimized 286 individuals, including 180 children, across 20 countries. Posing as a teenage social media celebrity, Rasheed coerced victims into performing sexually explicit acts on camera, using threats to blackmail them into compliance. He pleaded guilty to 119 charges related to over 550 incidents spanning 11 months, with courts describing the case as one of the worst sextortion instances in history. The Australian Federal Police (AFP), in collaboration with international agencies, conducted a thorough investigation, which revealed Rasheed's manipulation of victims and his connections with other offenders. Judge Amanda Burrows characterized his actions as