Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry has identified and detained a man in Shymkent suspected of engaging in unlawful activities involving a minor.

According to preliminary information, the suspect contacted children aged 10 to 12 through online messaging platforms while pretending to be a 14-year-old teenager, Zakon.kz reports.

In one identified case, he reportedly met a girl through an online game, obtained her phone number and continued communicating with her via WhatsApp.

Police said the man used various pretexts during their conversations to pressure the child into sending intimate photos and videos.

The Shymkent resident was detained during an operational investigation and, according to the Interior Ministry, gave a confession. He has been placed in temporary detention while a pre-trial investigation is underway.

Police are working to establish all the circumstances of the case and are checking whether the suspect may be connected to other similar incidents.

Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry urged parents to pay particular attention to children’s online safety and monitor their interactions on social media, online games and messaging platforms.