Adbulfatah Omar Awow admits sex blackmail threat during fake Covid check

A Melbourne man has pleaded guilty to posing as a Covid officer to try to blackmail a woman into a sex act by claiming she had breached the rules.

A Melbourne man has admitted to posing as a Covid compliance officer and attempting to blackmail a woman into performing a sex act while she was in isolation.

Abdulfatah Omar Awow pleaded guilty to four charges on Thursday including attempting to procure a sex act by threat after he went to a woman’s Burwood home on the pretence of conducting a Covid compliance check.

At the time of the incident, Awow was working as a casual staffer at the Health Department which gave him access to the details of Victorians who were in isolation.

Abdulfatah Omar Awow.

During a brief hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor Stephanie Clancy said most of Awow’s charges would be dropped in exchange for a guilty plea to four offences.

Court documents reveal police believed Awow finished his shift on July 14 last year and drove to the woman’s home.

Upon arrival, he told her she’d failed to comply with isolation rules and risked deportation but he was prepared to lie for her if she performed a sex act.

When the woman’s housemate came out of their room Awow left.

The victim’s partner later reported the incident to police.

Awow appeared via video link from custody and remained silent during the proceeding other than when giving his guilty plea.

He will face the County Court on August 15 for a further hearing.