The Cybercrime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters has apprehended 36-year-old entrepreneur and resident Joshua Kojo Anane Boate of East Legon, Accra, for the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
The arrest took place on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, following a coordinated, intelligence-led operation conducted by the Cybercrime Unit in partnership with the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Investigations have established that the suspect managed a Telegram platform titled ‘VIP Sleep Fetish 2025,’ which he utilized to distribute illicit content.
According to the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, evidence gathered during the investigation reveals that Boate targeted unsuspecting female victims by drugging them with Alprazolam, a sedative frequently referred to by the brand name Xanax.
Once the victims were sedated, the suspect allegedly committed and recorded acts of sexual abuse against the victims.
These recordings and photographs were subsequently uploaded and shared on his Telegram platform.
It is alleged that throughout 2025, the suspect frequented various nightclubs to seduce and sedate victims before recording and disseminating their intimate images without their knowledge or consent.
During the arrest, authorities conducted a search that resulted in the seizure of several electronic devices and medical evidence. The retrieved items included an iPhone 17, an iPhone 13 Pro Max, a feature phone, a memory card, a Seagate external hard drive, a MacBook laptop, and an iSafe device.
Additionally, police recovered empty sachets of suspected to have contained the pills.
The electronic devices are currently undergoing digital forensic examination, while the drug packaging is being submitted to the Food and Drugs Authority for official verification and classification.
The suspect has been formally arraigned before the court as investigations into the scope of his activities continue.
In light of this case, the Ghana Police Service has reiterated its commitment to aggressively combating all forms of online sexual exploitation and abuse.
