The Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Rabat has handed down prison sentences in a case involving the exploitation of a minor child on social media platforms. The verdicts, issued late Wednesday night, concern a YouTuber accused of filming and broadcasting videos of a girl under 12 years old on TikTok, YouTube, and Skype, along with the child’s mother and a third accomplice.
According to the Moroccan newspaper “Al Akhbar,” the YouTuber was sentenced to four years in prison. The child’s mother received a one-year prison sentence, while the third accomplice was given six months. Both the mother and the third accomplice were also fined 5,000 Moroccan dirhams each.
The three defendants were charged with human trafficking, influencing a minor under 12 years old with weak discernment, and exploitation through live-streamed videos on social networks. The mother and the third accomplice were additionally accused of failing to report a crime and receiving financial compensation. They are suspected of receiving money from citizens and residents of a Gulf country, including Moroccans.
The investigation, conducted by the Rabat Judicial Police and their specialized unit for tracking such crimes, revealed that the YouTuber “approached the minor and took advantage of her young age and lack of maturity to lure her to his home.” He then sought the help of the child’s mother, a woman known for her frequent travels to Gulf countries. Investigators downloaded numerous recordings from the YouTuber’s channel, where many videos featuring the victim were found among other similar content, demonstrating the extent of this crime.
This case highlights the dangers of child exploitation on the internet and the importance of enhancing monitoring and protection for minors on social media platforms.