Ramanan Pathmanathan eight-year sextortion campaign targeting 145+ children
Campaign
Summary
Hide ▲
Show ▼
A Ramanan Pathmanathan sextortion campaign targeted more than 145 children across the United States, using fake social accounts and video chats to coerce minors and capture blackmail material. The operation ran for eight years, from March 2014 to March 10, 2021, and relied on impersonating a teenage boy from New Jersey to reach victims. It created severe exploitation and extortion risk by recording sexual acts and threatening to leak them to friends and family.
Related Happenings
AI-generated child sexual abuse content surged in 2025
Trend
H score26
First: 06.07.2026 12:00
Last: 06.07.2026 12:00
Sources 1
About this happening:
Measured **AI-generated child sexual abuse content** surged in **2025**, sharply increasing the volume of synthetic abuse material available for coercion and blackmail. The rise w...
AI-generated child sexual abuse content surged in 2025
TrendAbout this happening: Measured **AI-generated child sexual abuse content** surged in **2025**, sharply increasing the volume of synthetic abuse material available for coercion and blackmail. The rise w...
National Crime Agency (NCA) public awareness campaign Launched a new campaign and accompanying written guidance for Campaign ran on **Facebook** **Instagram** and **YouTube** and
Public Sector Action
H score23
First: 06.07.2026 12:00
Last: 06.07.2026 12:00
Sources 1
About this happening:
The **National Crime Agency (NCA)** launched a **public campaign** and **written guidance** to warn parents and carers about oversharing children's photos and videos online, aimin...
National Crime Agency (NCA) public awareness campaign Launched a new campaign and accompanying written guidance for Campaign ran on **Facebook** **Instagram** and **YouTube** and
Public Sector ActionAbout this happening: The **National Crime Agency (NCA)** launched a **public campaign** and **written guidance** to warn parents and carers about oversharing children's photos and videos online, aimin...
Anthony Belford spoofed-account harassment campaign against a Georgia college student
Campaign
H score35
First: 19.06.2026 11:44
Last: 19.06.2026 11:44
Sources 1
About this happening:
The alleged **spoofed-account harassment campaign** against a **Georgia college student** has been tied to repeated use of fake social profiles and email to spread **AI-generated...
Anthony Belford spoofed-account harassment campaign against a Georgia college student
CampaignAbout this happening: The alleged **spoofed-account harassment campaign** against a **Georgia college student** has been tied to repeated use of fake social profiles and email to spread **AI-generated...
Meta AI-powered support tools abused in Instagram account recovery flow
Security Tool/Service
H score26
First: 02.06.2026 18:47
Last: 02.06.2026 18:47
Sources 1
About this happening:
**Instagram accounts** were hijacked after attackers abused **Meta’s AI-powered support tools** to pass recovery checks and change the recovery email, creating a direct failure in...
Meta AI-powered support tools abused in Instagram account recovery flow
Security Tool/ServiceAbout this happening: **Instagram accounts** were hijacked after attackers abused **Meta’s AI-powered support tools** to pass recovery checks and change the recovery email, creating a direct failure in...
Ramanan Pathmanathan sextortion sentencing
Law Enforcement
H score14
First: 28.05.2026 12:25
Last: 28.05.2026 12:25
Sources 1
How related:
A Canadian man was sentenced to 33 years in prison after pleading guilty to targeting more than 145 children across the United States, some as young as 6 years old, in an eight-year-long sextortion scheme.
About this happening:
U.S. prosecutors **sentenced** **Ramanan Pathmanathan** for a **sextortion** case involving **more than 145 children**, imposing a **33-year prison term** and **10 years of superv...
Ramanan Pathmanathan sextortion sentencing
Law EnforcementHow related: A Canadian man was sentenced to 33 years in prison after pleading guilty to targeting more than 145 children across the United States, some as young as 6 years old, in an eight-year-long sextortion scheme.
About this happening: U.S. prosecutors **sentenced** **Ramanan Pathmanathan** for a **sextortion** case involving **more than 145 children**, imposing a **33-year prison term** and **10 years of superv...
Timeline
-
28.05.2026 12:25 1 articles · 1mo ago
Ramanan Pathmanathan is arrested after targeting at least 145 children in a sextortion campaign
Campaign Scope UpdateRamanan Pathmanathan is arrested after contacting at least 145 young victims in the United States while posing as a teenage boy from New Jersey, using Instagram and Facebook Messenger to coerce minors into sexual acts and threatening to send recordings to their friends and family.
Show sources
- Sextortionist sentenced to 33 years for targeting 145 children — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 28.05.2026 12:25
-
28.05.2026 12:25 1 articles · 1mo ago
Ramanan Pathmanathan pleads guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and child pornography production
Legal Policy Action UpdateRamanan Pathmanathan pleads guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of child pornography production after the campaign that targeted children across the United States.
Show sources
- Sextortionist sentenced to 33 years for targeting 145 children — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 28.05.2026 12:25
-
28.05.2026 12:25 2 articles · 1mo ago
Ramanan Pathmanathan is sentenced to 33 years in prison after pleading guilty
Legal Policy Action UpdateRamanan Pathmanathan is sentenced to 33 years in prison, must register as a sex offender, and must serve 10 years of supervised release after the guilty plea. He is already serving a 12-year prison term in Canada following a 2022 guilty plea to similar offenses there.
Show sources
- Sextortionist sentenced to 33 years for targeting 145 children — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 28.05.2026 12:25
- Sextortionist sentenced to 33 years for targeting 145 children — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 28.05.2026 12:25