By: Audrey Raymonda John
A husband and wife, Janet Ibrahim Charles and Musa Saidu, have been denied bail after appearing before Principal Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, over allegations of sharing intimate pictures and videos of a woman on Facebook without her consent.
The defendants are facing three counts under the Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021 (Act No. 7 of 2021), relating to the alleged unauthorized sharing and publication of intimate and sexually explicit images.
According to the police report, the complainant, Stella Baindu Bewie, was previously in a relationship with Musa Saidu before they separated. She subsequently became romantically involved with Ansumana Charles, a staff member of the Ministry of Lands and brother of the first defendant, Janet Ibrahim Charles.
The report alleged that Janet Ibrahim Charles discovered intimate pictures and videos of Bewie on a mobile phone and subsequently shared them on Facebook without the complainant’s consent.
According to the indictment, on 14 July 2026 in Freetown, both defendants allegedly shared an intimate image of Bewie through a Facebook account bearing the name Janet Abraham.
The indictment further alleged that Janet Ibrahim Charles used the same Facebook account to publish a sexually explicit image of the complainant with the intention of shaming, humiliating and frightening her.
In a separate count, Musa Saidu was accused of taking an intimate image of Bewie without her consent on 14 July 2026 at the Pastoral Centre Guest House in the Kenema Judicial District, Eastern Province.
When the charges were read and explained to the defendants, no plea was taken, as the matter is before the court for committal proceedings.
The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dellia Wellington, Esq., requested a short adjournment to enable her to present a witness.
Meanwhile, lead defence counsel I. Steven, Esq., renewed and adopted his previous bail application on behalf of both defendants.
However, Magistrate Jah refused the bail application, citing the seriousness of the offences with which the defendants are charged.
The matter was adjourned to 18 November 2026 for continuation of the proceedings.