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The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a 36-year-old entrepreneur over allegations of online sexual exploitation and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content.
The suspect, identified as Joshua Kojo Anane Boateng, was arrested on May 6, 2026, during a joint intelligence-led operation carried out by the Cyber Crime Unit of the CID in collaboration with the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Following the arrest, several online sources and social media users linked the suspect to the controversial online persona known as “SoAfrican,” whose explicit videos and images have circulated widely across social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter). The alleged activities associated with the account have generated widespread public concern and outrage.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the Director-General of the CID, Lydia Yaako Donkor, disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly operated a Telegram platform called “VIP Sleep Fetish 2025.”
According to the CID, the suspect allegedly targeted unsuspecting women at various nightclubs in Accra during 2025. Police say he seduced the victims before allegedly drugging them with substances including alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, and midazolam. Authorities further allege that the victims were sexually assaulted while unconscious, with the acts secretly recorded and later shared online without their consent.
“The suspect is alleged to have frequented nightclubs in 2025, where he seduced, drugged, and sexually assaulted female victims before recording and disseminating their intimate images without their consent,” COP Donkor stated during the briefing.
The CID also revealed that several items were retrieved during the arrest operation. These included two iPhones, a feature phone, a memory card, a Seagate external hard drive, a MacBook laptop, an iSafe device, and empty sachets suspected to have contained alprazolam and midazolam.
Police say the electronic devices have been retained for forensic examination to assist ongoing investigations, while the sachets have been submitted to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for verification and classification.
Authorities confirmed that the suspect has already been arraigned before court, with investigations still ongoing. The Ghana Police Service has reiterated its commitment to tackling online sexual exploitation, cyber-related abuse, and crimes involving non-consensual intimate content.
The case has since sparked widespread conversations online about digital safety, consent, and the increasing dangers of cyber exploitation in Ghana. Many social media users have called for stricter enforcement of cybercrime laws and stronger protection for victims of online abuse.
The CID has urged the public to report suspected cases of online exploitation and abuse through the appropriate law enforcement channels to help combat such crimes and protect vulnerable individuals.
