A 28-year-old Bangladeshi man accused of deceiving teenage girls into sending sexually explicit images and then blackmailing them for more has been transported to Alaska to face federal charges of child sexual exploitation, the Associated Press reported.Zobaidul Amin was taken into custody by the FBI in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he had been studying medicine and facing related charges, and was flown to Anchorage. He pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance on Thursday.US prosecutors said a federal grand jury had already indicted Amin in 2022 on charges including child pornography, cyberstalking and wire fraud.
Allegedly targeted hundreds of minors
According to a detention memorandum filed by prosecutors, Amin posed under false identities on social media, often pretending to be a teenager, to convince girls to send explicit images.Prosecutors alleged he then threatened to distribute those images to the victims’ friends and family unless they sent more. Authorities said he exploited hundreds of minors in this manner.The court filing said Amin “delighted in sexually abusing hundreds of minor victims over social media,” and even bragged about causing victims to become suicidal or engage in self-harm.
Case began with complaint from Alaska teen
The investigation started when a 14-year-old girl in Alaska reported the abuse to police. She told investigators that after she stopped communicating with him, he carried out his threats by sending explicit images of her to people she knew.Investigators used multiple search warrants and subpoenas to track the suspect and discovered he had targeted numerous victims in similar ways.
Victims pressured to recruit others
Prosecutors said Amin told victims the only way to stop his demands was to recruit other girls and persuade them to send explicit images as well.Believing he was beyond the reach of US authorities, he allegedly told one victim that police “won’t track me down because I live nowhere near you.”
Extradition hurdles and expulsion from Malaysia
Efforts to extradite Amin from Malaysia initially failed. However, with assistance from the FBI, Malaysian authorities brought their own charges.He was later released on bail during those proceedings but was eventually expelled from Malaysia, allowing US agents to take him into custody and transport him to Alaska.
Court orders continued detention
US Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon ordered that Amin remain in custody while the case proceeds.In a statement, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency remains committed to protecting children from exploitation “whether an offender is here in the United States or overseas.”
