Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has registered a First Information Report in a major child exploitation case, accusing a Rawalpindi resident of grooming, exploiting and blackmailing minors through fake social media profiles.

According to the FIR lodged at the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad, investigators allege the suspect created multiple fraudulent Instagram accounts, posing as scholarship programmes to lure children into online contact.

Authorities said the accused targeted at least two minor boys, gradually manipulating them into sharing obscene and sexually explicit material. The content was later used to blackmail the victims by threatening public exposure.

The FIR was registered after the conclusion of NCCIA Enquiry No. 239 of 2026, which found evidence of systematic online grooming. Investigators said the accused also attempted to unlawfully access the victims’ Instagram and WhatsApp accounts by requesting verification codes.

A forensic examination of the seized mobile phone uncovered extensive digital evidence. Officials said hundreds of child sexual abuse material files were recovered from the device, along with records of repeated communication with multiple WhatsApp numbers.

Investigators also traced an Easypaisa account allegedly linked to the accused, which they believe was used for the sharing and possible sale of exploitative content within Pakistan and abroad.

Further inquiry revealed that another minor was targeted through a separate fake Instagram account, where the accused impersonated a female. In that case, authorities said the suspect succeeded in obtaining explicit material and illegally acquiring a WhatsApp verification code linked to the child’s number.

Digital data obtained from Meta confirmed that the fake Instagram accounts were registered using phone numbers connected to the accused. Connectivity records showed the accounts were operated from the same mobile device and internet connection.

Investigators further found that the accused was using a modified smartphone with an illegally altered IMEI number, which constitutes electronic forgery under Pakistani law.

The FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, along with relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code. Authorities said investigations are ongoing to identify other suspects, facilitators and potential victims linked to the case.