Yaytseslav: Russian Preying on Ghana Ladies Faces 10 Years in Jail if Caught Per Cybersecurity Act
- Russian content creator Yaytseslav faces several years in prison for predatory behaviour in Ghana
- Ghana's Cybersecurity Act prohibits non-consensual sharing of private images, protecting individuals' privacy rights
- Public outrage spured debate on accountability for online predators and the enforcement of protective laws
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Outrage at the Russian content creator Vyacheslav Trahov, aka Yaytseslav's predatory escapades with women in Ghana, has led to questions about what laws he has broken.
Yaytseslav shared online private moments he had with Ghanaian women he approached in public, triggering fury from the whole country as it became evident that this footage was distributed without their consent.
Source: Instagram
The videos, which showed how he invited women to his apartment after proposing or enticing them, were posted on TikTok and Telegram and have since gone viral.
The answers to how he has flouted Ghana's laws lie in the Cybersecurity Act.
In section 67 of the Act, the non-consensual sharing of confidential images is addressed.
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The law prohibits anyone from intentionally distributing, or causing the distribution of, private images or visual recordings of another person without their consent.
The key thing here is if it can be proven that there was an intent to cause serious emotional distress, which is a feature of the law.
Importantly, the Act applies when there was a reasonable expectation of privacy at the time the image or recording was created and at the time it was shared.
The legislation defines "serious emotional distress" as intentional conduct that results in mental reactions such as fright, anxiety, worry, mortification, shock, humiliation, indignity, as well as physical pain.
Under Section 67 of the law, a person found guilty of non-consensual sharing of confidential images faces imprisonment ranging from three to 10 years.
Source: Getty Images
The law was amended in 2025 to raise this punishment from at most 3 years to at most 10 years.
What does Section 67 say:
A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than ten years or a fine of not less than two hundred and fifty penalty units and not more than twenty-five thousand penalty units or to both.”
In comments to YEN.com.gh, a lawyer and legal analyst, Amanda Clinton, noted that intent is always difficult to prove.
Clinton also acknowledged the possible gaps in the law.
"Financial or other gain isn’t covered. If someone distributes private images for money, clout, revenge, blackmail, or curiosity but claims their goal wasn’t emotional harm they may fall outside section 67."
Prosecution of the Russian may also prove unlikely given that Ghana does not have an extradition treaty with Russia.
The Cyber Security Authority is reportedly set to begin investigations into Yaytseslav's conduct.
Benjamin Madugu, the Director of Communication, International Cooperation, and Strategic Partnership at the Cyber Security Authority, said the government would start with his whereabouts.
Ghanaian lady rejects Yaytseslav
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on a Ghanaian lady who turned down the Russian man, making for an awkward interaction that was captured in another viral video.
Yaytseslav started with casual questions, asking where she lived and whether she stayed in the area, and even asked her to help order a Bolt ride for him to Marina Mall.
As the conversation continued, the controversial Russian told the lady that he would like to see her again in the evening, but the lady turned him down.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
