Alappuzha: Kayamkulam police on Wednesday arrested a 36-year-old man for filming nude clips of underage girls and threatening to upload it on Instagram. The accused is Mohammed Haris, a native of Sakthikulangara, Kollam.
The accused used to befriend school teachers and send them brochures after introducing himself as a film producer. Later, he collected the phone numbers of students from them, claiming it was for the audition of a new movie. Haris would then call these girls to gauge their interest in appearing for the audition.
Those interested were then asked to enact a movie scene. After praising them for their performance, Haris would ask them to enact another scene which would require a change of costume. He captured the videos of the girls after convincing them to change their dress there itself making them believe the camera has been switched off. He also asked them to bring along their friends who were interested in acting and would deceive them the same way.
When the girls realised the folly behind the audition process and took it up with Haris, he threatened them to remain silent saying he would otherwise publish their videos on Instagram. The accused used to secure SIM cards for the crime, in the name of people whose details he would collect promising them employment at the schools.
Haris was caught after an investigation led by Alappuzha District Police Chief Chaithra Theresa. The team included Kayamkulam DySP Ajaynath, CI Sudhir, SI Hashim, SI Ratheesh Babu, ASI Jeeja Devi, and officers Arun, Gireesh, Deepak, Shahjahan, Akhil Murali, Iyaz Manikuttan, Vishnu, Firoz, Aneesh, Akhil and Gopakumar.
Similar cases are registered against the accused in Nooranad and Kanakakunnu police stations. In 2020, Kollam Eravipuram police booked him for sexually abusing a minor boy.
