Two Lusaka men sentenced to five years for cyber extortion, await high court ruling

Two men from Lusaka’s Linda Compound have been sentenced to five years in prison for extortion and indecent assault after forcing a man and woman to engage in sexual acts, filming the ordeal, and later using the footage to demand money from the victims.

John Sichepele, 36, a security guard, and Nobrey Kapalangwe, 27, a caretaker, were convicted of threatening violence and cyber extortion.

However, their legal troubles continued as they face a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence for indecent assault, which would be determined by the High Court.

Testimony revealed that the male victim, 49, and the female victim, 46, were ambushed by the pair while walking separately.

Sichepele and Kapalangwe forced them into Kazenene bush around 20:00 hours, where they were ordered to strip and engage in sexual acts while Kapalangwe filmed the scene and Sichepele illuminated it with a torch.

After the act, the victims were coerced into paying K800 each to prevent the videos from being circulated online.

Despite a promise to pay, the video was later leaked, prompting the victims to report the crime.

In their defense, Sichepele claimed to have stumbled upon the couple while patrolling, alleging they were lovers who couldn’t afford a lodge.

However, his story fell apart when he admitted to touching the victim’s genitals.

Kapalangwe initially claimed he was documenting the incident for police evidence, but later admitted to his involvement in the crime.

Magistrate Amy Masoja found the video to be undeniable evidence and ruled that both men had engaged in extortion and indecent assault.

Before sentencing, Sichepele requested leniency, claiming to have found God while in jail, while Kapalangwe begged for mercy, stating he had learned valuable lessons.

Despite their pleas, the court imposed five-year sentences with hard labor to be served concurrently from the date of arrest.

The pair now await sentencing at the High Court for the indecent assault charge.

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