A man who ran a widespread online blackmail operation targeting young Muslim men and teenagers has been sentenced to 16 years in jail after a court heard he used more than 100 fake social media accounts to obtain intimate photographs and sexually exploit his victims.Waleed Saeed, 31, of British-born Somali descent, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court after pleading guilty to 17 offences, including rape, attempted rape, blackmail and making indecent images of children, the BBC reports.The court heard that Saeed created fake identities on social media and dating platforms for years, and used them to contact young people across the UK. After gaining their trust, he persuaded his victims to send him intimate photographs and videos before threatening to reveal the content to family members and friends.Prosecutors said many of those targeted were young Muslim men and teenagers who feared the consequences of their sexuality would be exposed within their families or communities.In some cases, Saeed demanded money to keep the images private. When victims would not meet his demands, he would threaten to expose them to maintain control over them and would sometimes arrange personal meetings, which would lead to sexual crimes.The case came to light in August 2024 after it was reported that an 18-year-old girl was raped in a London park. Investigators later uncovered an extensive pattern of crime that spanned several years.Police traced Saeed based on evidence found during the investigation and seized mobile phones containing intimate photographs of several victims, including children.Earlier this year, Saeed pleaded guilty to charges including blackmail and making indecent images of a child. A jury later found him guilty of additional charges including rape, attempted rape and further blackmail crimes.Sentencing, Judge Green said Saeed deliberately took advantage of his victims’ fear of being exposed.“You took advantage of the fact that cultural issues made him particularly vulnerable to risk,” the judge told him.The Metropolitan Police believe the scale of the crime may be far greater than the cases already in court. Detectives are now investigating approximately 100 additional potential victims connected to Saeed’s activities.