A Russian content creator has sparked a massive wave of outrage across the African continent after exposing himself as a high-tech “predator” who secretly recorded his sexual encounters with local women.
Vyacheslav Trahov, known online as Yaytseslav, has been accused of using sophisticated Meta smart glasses—indistinguishable from regular sunglasses—to film women in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Accra.
The recordings, which often transition from a casual “street approach” at a shopping mall to a hotel room within hours, have ignited a fierce debate about Western privilege, digital privacy, and the exploitation of vulnerable women.
Investigation by local vloggers revealed that Trahov operated a multi-tiered monetization scheme. While short, “teasing” clips were uploaded to TikTok and YouTube to attract views, the full, non-consensual sexual acts were reportedly hosted on a private Telegram channel.
Subscribers were allegedly charged $5 (approx. Ksh650 / GH₵ 75) per month to access a library of “trophy” videos featuring hundreds of African women.
“He preyed on us because he’s an ‘obroni’ (white person) and we’re struggling,” one Ghanaian user posted. “This isn’t travel content; it’s predatory behavior dressed up as vlogging.”
As the backlash grew to a fever pitch, Trahov reportedly broke his silence on his Telegram channel on Friday, February 13. He attempted to downplay the scandal, claiming the footage was “almost a year old” and that the women were fully aware of the filming—a claim hotly contested by those who have seen the “hidden camera” angles.
In Kenya, renowned journalist Ferdinard Omondi led the condemnation, describing the acts as “sexual exploitation.”
“The sex may have been consensual, but the recording and distribution were not. That is a crime,” Omondi stated. In Ghana, the Cyber Security Authority has reportedly begun looking into Trahov’s activities, which could carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years for violating privacy and distribution laws.
By Saturday morning, Trahov had wiped his digital footprint, making his TikTok private and deleting dozens of videos. However, the damage is done; screenshots of the “Russian predator” are circulating widely, with activists in both countries warning women to “watch out for foreigners who won’t take their sunglasses off indoors.”
