Accra: An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 26-year-old plumber and hairstylist to 12 years' imprisonment for sexual extortion. Philip Spain Narh is said to have taken advantage of a 19-year-old SHS graduate by having vaginal and anal sex with her with the promise to help her become a web designer. Unknown to the victim, Narh recorded his sexual encounter with her and published those nude scenes on the internet with the view of blackmailing her.

According to Ghana News Agency, Narh was charged with seven counts of sexual extortion, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, publication or sale of obscene material, and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs. Narh pleaded not guilty to the charges, but he was found guilty after a full trial.

Prosecution's facts before the court revealed that the complainant, a 19-year-old Senior High School graduate, lived with her parents at Kpone, near Tema in the Greater Accra Region. Narh, also known as Sharon Stuttgart Woods, resided at Bawaleshie near Dodowa with his father. In late 2020, the complainant was introduced to Narh by a girl known as Delphine, whom she met via Telegram.

The prosecution stated that Narh created the impression of being a female German American named Sharon Stuttgart Woods, involved in financial services and business in Ghana. He also portrayed himself as a philanthropist with a passion for helping 'black girls' achieve their dreams, offering to assist the complainant in traveling abroad to further her education at MIT, Massachusetts.

The complainant, who aspired to be a web developer with a long-term goal to create Artificial Intelligence, was lured into meeting the convict in December 2020. Under the pretense of a meeting with a philanthropist, she was manipulated into a situation where Narh, posing as an intermediary, forced her into having sex, recording the act as a test of loyalty.

Feeling ashamed and exploited, the victim ceased contact after Narh demanded more sexual encounters. Narh, however, continued his deceit by contacting her under a different alias, 'Valquez Rodeo De Mel,' and blackmailed her with threats of leaking the recorded encounter if she refused further sexual acts.

On January 5, 2021, Narh published the complainant's nude photos and sex video on a Telegram porn channel. Distressed and suicidal, the victim confided in a friend who advised her to comply with Narh's demands. However, Narh continued his abuse, leading the victim to open up to her coding tutor, who encouraged her to report the matter to the police.

Narh was arrested, and a search of his room led to the discovery of mobile phones containing the complainant's intimate images and videos, along with substances suspected to be narcotics. Laboratory testing confirmed these substances as cannabis sativa.