A Burnaby man has been charged with 23 offences in connection with a sextortion scheme that targeted victims across the country, many of whom were underage.Anwer Jelassi, 19, allegedly coerced teens into sending him sexually explicit photos, then threatened to share them with the victims' social networks unless they paid up.According to the Burnaby RCMP, Jelassi was charged on July 11 with nine counts of extortion, three counts of telecommunicate to lure child under 18, one count of telecommunicate to lure child under 16, two counts of Possessing child pornography, one count of making or publishing child pornography, one count of importing/distributing child pornography, two counts of inviting, counselling or inciting a young person to touch the body of any person for a sexual purpose, one count of publication of intimate images without consent, one count of secretly observe/record nudity or sexual activity, and two counts of breach of undertaking.He has been ordered to abide by a number of court-ordered conditions, including not contacting any of the victims or anyone under the age of 16, and not accessing social media or dating apps.The investigation that led to Jelassi's arrest was launched after victims in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia alleged to police that they were being extorted. The Burnaby man was quickly identified as a suspect, and on January 26, 2023, a search warrant was executed on his residence."We would really like to commend these victims for coming forward and reporting these incidents to police," the Burnaby RCMP [Child Abuse and Sexual Offences] unit's Cpl. Max Gagné said in a press release. "Their bravery in stepping forward and telling someone has allowed us to advance this investigation, which has now resulted in criminal charges."He lamented the fact that "online sexual extortion is a crime that has had tragic outcomes," and reminded victims that "they are not alone and that we are here to help them and hold offenders to account."
