Pakistani-Origin Man Jailed for Australia's Worst Online Child Sexual Abuse Scheme

Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen Rasheed, a Pakistani-origin man, has been sentenced to 17 years in jail in Australia for orchestrating one of the worst online child sexual abuse schemes. Posing as a 15-year-old social media influencer, Rasheed victimized hundreds of children worldwide. The court found his offenses degrading and extreme.

A Pakistani-origin man has been sentenced to 17 years in jail for orchestrating one of the most egregious online child sexual abuse schemes in Australia, targeting hundreds of victims both locally and internationally by posing as a 15-year-old social media influencer.

Muhammad Zain Ul Abideen Rasheed, 29, pleaded guilty to 119 charges involving 286 individuals from over 20 countries, including the UK, the US, Japan, and France. Two-thirds of his victims were under 16, according to BBC News.

Rasheed manipulated these children into a cycle of increasingly severe abuse by threatening to share explicit images and messages with their loved ones if they didn't comply. He will be eligible for parole in 2033 at age 38.

(With inputs from agencies.)