After a brawl involving a blank-firing gun at Vienna's main train station, an influencer of Indian descent was conditionally sentenced to three months at the regional court on Wednesday. He was acquitted of further charges of coercion and extortion with AI-generated nude images. The acquittals were due to "many uncertainties" that were insufficient for a conviction, the judge explained in her reasoning. The decision is not legally binding.

According to the indictment, the Indian citizen, who has applied for asylum in Austria, allegedly threatened a compatriot with publishing AI-generated nude images of her if she did not undress for him in a video chat. When she refused, he demanded 150,000 rupees, according to the indictment. The 29-year-old is also said to have threatened to murder her brother and "wipe out" her family.

The judge confronted the defendant with chat messages in which he allegedly urged the woman to commit the incriminating acts. He claimed that the messages were not written by him but had been manipulated.

Brawl at Vienna's Main Train Station

The second charge concerned a brawl at Vienna's main train station in August 2024, during which the 29-year-old allegedly injured his opponent with a blank-firing gun. The defendant claimed he had been followed by men who threatened to kill him. At the train station, a man allegedly confronted him and became physical. The defendant claimed the man twisted and broke his fingers. He then drew the blank-firing gun to strike the alleged attacker in self-defense.

Surveillance footage from Vienna's main train station showed the altercation. However, self-defense was not evident, the judge noted. While a provocation was visible, with the 29-year-old being grabbed by the shirt, the first blow came from the defendant. The altercation continued onto an escalator, at the end of which the defendant's opponent gained the upper hand. The situation was eventually resolved by an employee of the Vienna public transport company.

The opponent, who was involved in the fight with the defendant, described the situation differently during his testimony. He claimed to have demanded money back from the defendant, whereupon the defendant struck him. The defendant injured him on the head with a blank-firing gun, and he also sustained injuries to his knee.

The native Indian also denied the allegations of extortion and coercion. He claimed not to know the woman personally and only became aware of her because she allegedly tried to blackmail him with AI-generated and authentic nude photos. For this, she supposedly hacked his social media accounts.

Judge to Influencer: "Take the Opportunity"

The witness was connected online and questioned via Zoom, as she is currently in London. During her questioning, she denied the defendant's allegations. She claimed to know him only through social media, where he blackmails people with private photos. She reported this to the authorities in India and England, who allegedly did not consider themselves responsible, the witness claimed. She admitted to posting against the defendant and also attempted to hack his accounts, but without success.

The judge found the defendant guilty of bodily harm. Self-defense was not apparent, and both parties "gave no quarter" in the confrontation. The possible sentence in this case ranges from two months to one year. In the case of coercion and extortion, the judge could not determine the defendant's guilt with much certainty, so the sentence was not increased. The defendant's lack of a criminal record had a mitigating effect on the sentence, according to the judge. "Take the opportunity," she said at the end of the trial towards the defendant.

(APA/Red)

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