Teenager on trial

Trial after blackmail with masturbation video

The young people are said to have communicated on Snapchat (symbolic image)

(Bild: Stock Adobe, Krone KREATIV)

The allegations are serious: two teenagers (15, 16) allegedly posed as women on Snapchat. They are said to have demanded nude photos and videos from their victim (17), blackmailed the teenager with them and distributed the recordings. On Thursday, they will have to answer for their actions at Wels Regional Court.

"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" - Back in 1993, a cartoon appeared in the American magazine "The New Yorker" in which a dog raves to a fellow dog about the advantages of the anonymity of the Internet. Even 31 years later, the quote has lost none of its relevance.

Serious accusations
On Thursday, two young people aged 15 and 16 will stand trial at Wels Regional Court. The allegations are serious: they are accused of crimes of pictorial sexual abuse material and pictorial sexual depiction of minors and crimes of aggravated blackmail.

Pretended to be a woman
What does this have to do with anonymity on the internet? The two accused allegedly created a fake account on Snapchat together. Images and videos can be sent there that disappear by themselves after a few seconds - but it is still possible to save these recordings, for example via screenshots.

Recordings saved and sent
The two accused are said to have requested "dick pics" (penis photos) and a masturbation video from their 17-year-old victim under a female guise, which the victim made and sent. They then allegedly demanded cash from the 17-year-old in vain and finally sent the material to the victim's friends. 

Up to five years in prison
The two young people will have to answer to the lay assessors and both face prison sentences of five years each.