3 days ago
Man convicted of cyberbullying now accused of extortion, harassment
KUALA LUMPUR: A man, previously convicted in a cyberbullying case linked to the death of a social media influencer, is now accused of harassing and extorting a 28-year-old disabled woman, just two months after his release from prison.
The man was sentenced to 12 months in jail in Sept last year after pleading guilty to cyberbullying A. Rajeswary, better known as "Esha", who was found dead in July 2024 following months of online harassment.
He was released from prison in March this year.
The latest accusation against him came from a visually impaired woman from Bestari Jaya, who claimed she had engaged a TikTok influencer to help recover RM6,000 from her ex-boyfriend.
In a police report sighted by the New Straits Times, the victim, identified as Thiviah, claimed that the influencer had introduced her to the suspect, who offered to 'mediate' the issue in exchange for a monetary reward.
On May 27, the suspect allegedly hosted a live TikTok broadcast, during which he confronted the victim's ex-boyfriend online and demanded he repay the sum.
Thiviah claimed that after the live session ended, the suspect contacted her and asked for RM3,000 as payment.
She claimed that while she had agreed to give him a token sum beforehand, the amount was never discussed.
When she said she could not pay the amount as she was her family's sole breadwinner, he told he to pay him RM500 first and to settle the rest later.
She however maintained she could not afford the amount.
Thiviah, in her report, claimed that the suspect then began harassing her. She claimed that on May 28, the suspect rang her and threatened to release her personal details and photographs if he did not pay him the RM3,000.
She also claimed that he coerced her into a live TikTok session with him, where she was allegedly subjected to slurs and insults over her physical appearance and disability.
Speaking to the NST, Thiviah claimed she was subjected to bullying.
"I am partially blind. For someone like me to be bullied and threatened so aggressively — it was completely unacceptable.
"I am thankful my parents are not on social media. The words he used on me were deeply degrading and abusive.
"Just because I couldn't pay him for 'mediating' and getting my money back from my ex, he said so many nasty things, which were all untrue," she claimed.
Thiviah has since lodged a report at the Sentul police headquarters, citing fear for her safety and concern that her images could be misused online.
Meanwhile, Sentul district police chief Assistant Commissioner Sukarno Mohd Zahari when contacted today, said the case is under police investigation.
"We are tracking down the suspect to facilitate investigations," he said.
Sukarno said police have opened an investigation under Section 509 of the Penal Code for insulting a person's modesty.
