**A foreign man reported to be exploiting women online could face legal action in Ghana if authorities arrest him, with penalties of up to three years imprisonment under the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) for certain online offences. Section 67 of the Act makes it an offence to intentionally distribute, or cause another to distribute, an intimate image of a person without their consent when there was a reasonable expectation of privacy. Conviction under this provision can result in a prison term of between one and three years.
The issue came into the spotlight after a Russian national was widely discussed on social media for allegedly exploiting Ghanaian women in videos posted online. While the Ghana Police Service has not publicly confirmed an arrest, discussions around the man’s activities have led to greater attention on the legal frameworks that govern online content and exploitation.
Under Section 67 of the Cybersecurity Act, a person commits an offence if they distribute intimate images of another identifiable person without that person’s consent and where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy at the time the image was created and at the time of distribution. If found guilty, the offender can be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than three years upon summary conviction.
This provision is part of a broader suite of offences in Ghanaian law aimed at protecting individuals from online abuse, including cyberstalking, grooming, sexual extortion, and other forms of digital exploitation. The Cybersecurity Act works alongside other statutes to safeguard citizens from harmful online behaviour while holding offenders accountable.
As the matter develops, many social media users and online commentators have called for law enforcement to investigate the allegations and apply the relevant legal provisions, including Section 67, if evidence supports a prosecution. Awareness of these laws has also grown, with cybersecurity experts reminding the public that non-consensual sharing of intimate material is a punishable offence in Ghana.
