Praneeta Prakash 
[Photo: FILE photo]
A woman who used a fake Facebook account to post edited photographs and sexually degrading comments about another woman has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
Archaal Devi pleaded guilty to one count of causing harm by posting electronic communication under the Online Safety Act 2018.
She had already spent three months in custody.
The remaining six months were suspended for two years.
The court heard that between December 31, 2023, and January 2, 2024, Devi used the fake account to publish harmful posts about the complainant.
She also posted offensive material on Facebook’s Buy and Sell Suva page.
An extraction report confirmed that an application on Devi’s phone was used to edit the photographs.
Magistrate Yogesh Prasad said the offending was planned and involved sexually degrading material shared publicly.
The Court heard that the posts damaged the complainant’s reputation, affected her relationships and caused financial losses and serious emotional distress.
The Magistrate also considered Devi’s early guilty plea, remorse, young age and lack of previous convictions.
