Allegations of Coercion for Sexual Relations with Minors

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has initiated criminal proceedings against a young man born in 1990 for allegedly coercing individuals under the age of sixteen, as well as those who are sixteen and older, to engage in sexual relations. This was reported by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Investigative Committee.

On March 27, 2019, a resident of the Lori region reported to the Armenian Police that a user on the social network ВКонтакте.com had blackmailed his underage sister, clearly under the age of sixteen, into communicating with him by threatening to distribute her naked photographs online if she did not comply.

A criminal case was initiated under sections 3 and 6 of Part 2 of Article 142 and Article 144 of the RA Criminal Code. On May 6, 2019, another resident from the Lori region submitted a complaint to the electronic page of the Armenian Police, stating that a resident from the Tavush region had coerced her into sexual relations through blackmail.

A criminal case was initiated based on the characteristics of Part 1 of Article 140 of the RA Criminal Code, which was combined with the aforementioned criminal case regarding coercion involving an individual under the age of sixteen.

Through numerous investigative actions and operational-search measures, circumstances of the case were revealed, and the identity of the alleged perpetrator was established. In particular, the investigation revealed that the young man had registered an account on ВКонтакте.com under a female name and had communicated and corresponded with an underage girl.

During their interactions, he learned that the girl was 13 years old but continued communicating with her and persuaded her to send him a nude photograph. After receiving the photograph, he sent messages to the school-aged girl from another account, manipulating her psychologically, blackmailing her, and demanding and receiving several other nude photographs from her. Subsequently, he again blackmailed her, demanding that she engage in sexual relations with him. He threatened to send her naked photos to her classmates, as well as distribute them online, thereby coercing the minor into sexual relations.

Additionally, the same individual registered another page on ВКонтакте.com under a female name and similarly interacted with another resident from Lori, manipulating her psychologically, blackmailing her, and demanding and receiving her nude photographs. He then again blackmailed her, demanding sexual relations and threatening to publish the aforementioned photographs among her fellow villagers and relatives, thus coercing her into sexual relations.

Moreover, evidence was obtained in the criminal case that the same individual had also befriended another girl over the age of sixteen, persuaded her, and obtained her nude photographs. After receiving these photographs, he sent messages to the school-aged girl, psychologically manipulating her, blackmailing her, and demanding sexual relations, threatening to distribute the photographs online if she did not comply, thus coercing the over sixteen-year-old minor into sexual relations.

Based on sufficient evidence, the young man has been charged under Part 1 of Article 140 (2 episodes) and Part 2 of Article 140 of the RA Criminal Code (coercing an individual into sexual relations or sexual acts, including homosexual acts, through blackmail, threats of destruction, damage or seizure of property, or by exploiting the victim's material or other dependency, provided that the characteristics of the crimes specified in Articles 132 and 132.2 of this code are absent, committed against an individual under the age of sixteen). He has been chosen as a preventive measure of detention. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

Considering the particulars of the criminal case, no further details can be published. Additional information about procedural decisions made in the criminal case will be provided.

The Investigative Committee urges all parents to closely monitor their minors' internet usage to protect them from similar dangers and others.