Secretly filming a video of a young girl bathing to harass and appropriate her property

On February 24, 2022, Tan Ky District People's Court tried the criminal case against Tran Dinh Phi (born in 1990), residing in Tan Thuan hamlet, Nghia Dung commune, Tan Ky district, for the crime of "extortion of property".

Around mid-December 2021, Phi went to kidnap and sell to customers. When he arrived at the garden of Mr. HVT's family (Phi's wife's uncle) in the same Nghia Dung commune, Phi saw a light in Mr. T's family's bathroom, so he walked closer to the wall behind the bathroom.

Discovering a drain hole in the bathroom, Phi used his mobile phone (OPPO brand), placed it close to the drain hole to record the entire image in the bathroom.

Through the phone screen, Phi saw TH (born 2004), Mr. T's daughter, taking a bath. Phi set the mode to record H. for about 30 seconds, then heard a dog barking. Phi quickly turned off the video and left Mr. T's garden.

Defendant Tran Dinh Phi at the trial. Photo: Phuong Hao

On December 22, 2021, Phi used a Facebook account named "HoakhongmauHoakhongmau" created by Phi to make friends with H.'s Facebook account named "Ngoc Diep" and texted H. via the Messenger app.

Phi texted H. back and forth, saying that he had photos of H. while she was taking a shower. H. was scared and wanted the photos deleted, so Phi texted H. to go to a hotel to have sex. H. agreed, and said that when she was done, Phi would delete the videos and photos and give her the memory card containing the videos.

After many times of texting and harassing, and fearing that meeting in person would expose the incident, Phi texted H. to transfer 10 million VND. Phi would delete the videos, photos, and give the memory card to H.

Phi also threatened that if the money was not transferred, he wouldpost nude photosof H. on Facebook or send to H.'s friends.

Fearing that Phi would do as he threatened and having no money, H. texted Phi to ask him to reduce the amount to 5 million VND and then transferred the money to Phi.

Afterwards, H. went to the Investigation Police Agency of Tan Ky District Police to report the incident.

On December 28, 2021, the Investigation Police Agency of Tan Ky District Police issued an order to detain Phi in an emergency, confiscating from Phi an OPPO mobile phone and a bank card in the name of Tran Dinh Phi for investigation.

At the police investigation agency, Tran Dinh Phi confessed to all of his crimes in accordance with the documents and evidence collected in the case file.

The victim, H., has received back the extorted property and now has no further civil claims.

At the end of the trial, the panel sentenced Tran Dinh Phi to 12 months in prison./.

Phuong Hao