A citizen of Romania will be tried for allegedly coercing an 11-year-old girl from Moldova into sending him sexually explicit images via the mobile app SnapChat, reports IPN.
According to prosecutors, the accused initially received five photos from the child and insisted on her sending three more. After the little girl resisted, the man contacted her father on Facebook and sent him two compromising images. The father discussed with his daughter and alerted the authorities in Chisinau.
During the searches at the man’s residence, two phones and a laptop were found, which were subjected to expert examination.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases, the 38-year-old defendant is accused of sexual exploitation, child pornography, and the dissemination of compromising images.
The investigations were conducted in collaboration with the DIICOT prosecutors from Romania, with the support of the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center, the specialized prosecutors of the PCCOCS, and the officers of the National Investigation Inspectorate.
Law enforcers advise parents to supervise their children’s activity on communication apps and talk openly about online risks. It is essential to set clear rules and monitor children’s contacts. In case of suspected abuse or exploitation, authorities urge people to contact child protection institutions.