Video blackmail crime, which is among the most common cybercrimes committed over the internet in the last few years, is a type of crime committed based on the threat that private and intimate videos of individuals will be shared with third parties. This type of crime is mainly committed through video chat and messaging programmes. In the blackmail offence committed by video, the video is sometimes created with the knowledge of the victim and sometimes secretly shot. The victim, who is afraid of the spread of these videos, which usually have obscene content and contain nude images of the victim, submits to blackmail.
The offence of video blackmail is not one of the offences subject to complaint. In this sense, there is no complaint period for blackmail offence. When the prosecutor’s office or law enforcement officers learn that the crime of blackmail has been committed, the investigation of the crime will begin. The statute of limitations for blackmail is 8 years. With the passage of 8 years from the commission of the offence, the right to file a criminal case related to the crime of blackmail falls.
The Turkish Penal Code provides for imprisonment and judicial fine as penalties for the offence of blackmail. According to Article 107 of the Law, the penalty for the offence of blackmail is imprisonment from 1 year to 3 years and a judicial fine up to five thousand days.
So what should victims of video blackmail do?
The victim should not panic, knowing that he/she is not the first person to fall into the blackmail trap, and if the blackmail perpetrator has asked for money for the video, he/she should know that he/she cannot get rid of the blackmail by paying the money. The perpetrator of blackmail must not be believed and it must be realised that it is not possible to stop being a victim of blackmail by sending money.
To get rid of blackmail, you must first hide the evidence of blackmail. This can be phone records, Whatsapp or Facebook correspondence, as well as witness statements that will confirm your claim. You should file a criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor’s Office by documenting the evidence you have and the list of people who will testify. Filing a criminal complaint directly may increase the possibility of realisation of the threat subject to blackmail. The only solution in this matter is to get legal and technical support. You can contact us to get information about solutions on this subject.
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