From Impersonation to Sextortion: A Thematic Case Study of Cyber Enabled Sexual Harassment in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Cyber enabled sexual harassment and blackmail are often discussed as online nuisance or moral risk, yet victim narratives show a patterned escalation that produces intense psychological and social harm. This paper presents a qualitative single case study from a district in Tamil Nadu, drawn from a larger mixed methods doctoral study of cybercrime victimisation in three southern districts. Using a semi structured interview and thematic analysis, the case is analysed as an escalation pathway. The findings show seven linked stages, trust entry through impersonation cues, boundary testing and forced intimacy demands, escalation to sexual harassment and demands for explicit reciprocity, persistence through anonymity and repeated identity switching, evidence fragility linked to disappearing chats and restricted capture, coercion through reputational threat and blackmail, and coping through evidence workarounds and formal reporting. The case highlights how platform conditions can amplify harm by limiting evidence preservation at the point of crisis, and how low feedback during early complaint processing can prolong distress. The paper argues for a victim centred first response model that combines rapid evidence preservation guidance, platform cooperation for traceability and secure export, and trauma informed communication in cybercrime reporting pathways.