Career officer suspected of blackmailing women online

Police arrested a 24-year-old IDF career officer on Monday from central Israel suspected of forcing dozens of women and teenage girls to strip in front of their computer camera as he watched, after threatening that if they refuse he would attack their computers with a virus.

Detectives first looked into the case after a 14-year-old girl filed a complaint claiming a strange man contacted her online, warning her that if she refused to take off her cloths, he would send her a virus which will destroy her computer.

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"During the investigation we contacted dozens of girls ages 14 through 18, as well as women, who had allegedly fallen victim to his threats," a police official said.

It turns out that the suspect in question used to contact random girls and women online, using social networks and instant messaging services such as Skype and Facebook. After a short correspondence he would then demand they turn on their computer camera and remove their clothes, exposing their intimate parts.

If the women were to refuse, the suspect warned he would destroy their computer with a virus. Dozens of women fell victim to the suspect's threats and succumbed to his demands.

Police officials claimed they received similar complaints from across the country, describing the same method of blackmail. They were able to track down the man's location, leading to his arrest on Monday.

The suspect denied the claims against him during his investigation and claimed the correspondence was implanted on his computer.

Kfar Saba's Magistrate's Court extended the suspect's remand by three days but placed a gag order on his personal details.

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