Prosecutors of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office have sent to court an indictment against a 39-year-old resident of Lviv district, who is accused of extorting money from a woman and assaulting a police officer during his arrest.
According to the investigation, in January–February this year the man, who had previously been in a close relationship with a 31-year-old woman, obtained intimate photographs of her. He threatened to distribute these images on the internet, in particular by creating a TikTok social media account allegedly on behalf of the victim, adding her photos and personal information, and stating that he would publish intimate material there.
The woman feared that such actions could disgrace her in the eyes of her family and colleagues and lead to public condemnation. In return for not disclosing confidential information, the man initially demanded 15,000 US dollars from her, and later, realising that she did not have such an amount, “reduced” his demand to 5,000 US dollars. To force her to pay, he systematically put pressure on the victim and threatened her and her relatives with physical violence.
Realising that her former partner’s unlawful actions would not stop even if she complied with his demands, the woman turned to law enforcement and subsequently acted under their supervision. In mid-February she met the accused to hand over the money. During the meeting, the man not only issued threats but also tried to intimidate her by displaying a traumatic pistol.
After receiving the agreed sum, he attempted to flee the scene by car, but was detained by law enforcement officers under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. During the arrest, according to the investigation, the man actively resisted: he sprayed a “Teren-4” gas canister into the police officer’s face and, when the officer was disoriented, struck him several times on the head, causing minor bodily injuries with a short-term health disorder.
He is charged with demanding the transfer of another person’s property under threat of violence against the victim and her relatives, as well as threatening to disclose information she wishes to keep secret, and with intentionally inflicting minor bodily injuries on a law enforcement officer in connection with the performance of his official duties (Part 4 of Article 189, Part 2 of Article 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
In addition, another indictment against the same man is already being considered in court in relation to unlawful deprivation of liberty, kidnapping and rape (Part 1 of Article 146, Part 2 of Article 152 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). According to the prosecution, at the end of April last year in Zhovkva he abducted from a public transport stop a female acquaintance with whom he had previously had a close relationship, struck her several times in the face on the way to a forested area, and raped her in the forest. That same evening the woman contacted law enforcement.
At the request of the prosecution, the man is being held in custody. The pre-trial investigation in the case of extortion and assault on a police officer was conducted by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv Region.
The Prosecutor’s Office reminds that, in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of the court.