"They paid out of fear for their lives": 14-year-old arrested for TikTok extortion
Tel Aviv police have arrested a 14-year-old from central Israel suspected of extorting money and clothing from peers on TikTok in exchange for physical "protection". The case came to light after parents of one victim discovered incriminating messages and filed a police report.
A 14-year-old from central Israel has been arrested after allegedly contacting teenagers via TikTok to demand payments in exchange for "protection". The suspect threatened his peers with physical harm if they did not comply, leading some victims to pay him multiple times out of fear for their lives.
According to the investigation, the suspect escalated his demands to include additional sums of money and new clothing items. The case was uncovered after the parents of one victim noticed suspicious correspondence on their child's phone and filed an official complaint.
Investigators from the youth division of the Tel Aviv South police station conducted a swift investigation and identified two minors who were victims of the extortion. The suspect was arrested, and his detention has been repeatedly extended by the Tel Aviv Youth Magistrate's Court. Today, the Tel Aviv District Youth Prosecution Unit filed a prosecutor's statement, and a formal indictment is expected to be served in the coming days.
