By Eugene Nyarko Jnr. l Accra l March 9, 2026
The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Cyber Security Authority and National Security of Ghana, has arrested a 45-year-old pastor in Cape Coast over alleged offences involving a minor, including defilement and the production and possession of child sexual abuse materials.
The suspect, Ebenezer Conduah, who is the lead pastor of Mahanaim Christian Center at Ankaful in Cape Coast, was apprehended in the early hours of March 6, 2026, at Woraba, a suburb of Eguase in the Cape Coast of the Central Region.
According to the police, the arrest followed a joint intelligence-led operation by the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority and National Security aimed at combating cybercrimes, child sexual exploitation, economic crimes and other serious offences against persons and public infrastructure.
Addressing the media at a joint press briefing at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Accra on March 9, 2026, Director-General of the CID, COP Ms Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the suspect allegedly welcomed the survivor—then a 13-year-old junior high school student—into his home in August 2021 under the pretext of providing spiritual counselling and behavioural correction.
Investigations indicate that the suspect repeatedly subjected the victim to sexual abuse over an extended period and recorded videos of the acts on his mobile phone.
Police further revealed that in some instances the victim was allegedly forced to hold up materials displaying an adult pornographic website and state on camera that she was accessible on the platform, with the apparent intent of distributing the content online.
The abuse came to light after the survivor confided in her school headmistress, who subsequently reported the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Cape Coast.
A search conducted at the suspect’s residence led to the retrieval of several items now undergoing forensic examination. These include an HP laptop, three external hard drives, five pen drives, an Android mobile phone, a tablet, two electronic vibrators with accessories, assorted contraceptives, lubricant, a used pregnancy test kit and two ladies’ panties.
With technical assistance from the Cyber Security Authority, investigators reportedly discovered evidence on the devices indicating the production of child sexual abuse materials and three private pornographic website accounts.
Police disclosed that the suspect had earlier been charged at the Cape Coast Circuit Court with defilement of a female child under 16, contrary to Section 101(2) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and child pornography under Section 136(1)(c) of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772).
He was rearrested and arraigned before the Circuit Court again on March 8, 2026, on an additional charge of possessing an indecent image or photograph of a child under Sections 62 and 63 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038).
The court remanded the suspect into prison custody to reappear on March 27, 2026.
Police said the arrest highlights the commitment of the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority and National Security to protect children and combat Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE), which includes grooming, sextortion, the production and distribution of child sexual abuse materials and live-streamed abuse.
Authorities also pointed to recent discussions at the National Online Safety Summit 2026 held at the Alisa Hotel, where stakeholders stressed the need for stronger action against online child exploitation.
The agencies assured the public that the case is being treated with the utmost seriousness and pledged continued collaboration and use of technology to ensure a safer digital environment for children across Ghana.
