CAIRO, July 5 — Egyptian authorities yesterday arrested a man who allegedly sexually abused dozens of girls and women, in a case that has sparked outrage online, a security source said.

Allegations have been widely circulating on social media since Wednesday detailing horrific sexual abuse and related blackmail suffered by women at the hands of the same man.

One allegation claimed that he attempted to abuse a 14-year-old girl.

"The person accused of harassing the girls has been arrested and will be facing the prosecution following the allegations carried on social media,” the security source said.

"Those affected should submit formal reports of the harm they endured,” the source added.

The source did not identify the suspect.

In a later statement, Egypt's public prosecution identified the man and said the investigation was launched.

According to the social media reports, the first of which was published on an Instagram account, the abuse had been going on for years.

The public prosecution had said it received a complaint from one woman against the alleged abuser dating as far back as November 2016.

Trending hashtags carrying the alleged abuser's name widely circulated on Twitter and Facebook, urging government action.

Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW) lodged an official complaint with the public prosecutor to investigate the allegations on Saturday.

"The NCW has followed the social media account on Instagram, which was launched by girls and women complaining that a man raped some of them and sexually assaulted and harassed others,” it said on Facebook.

It also said that several victims, who reached out to the council, recounted that the man "blackmailed and threatened to defame them using photos and clips documenting his heinous crimes.”

The council urged the women to submit official complaints to the prosecutor.

Some online reports suggested the perpetrator was a university student.

The American University in Cairo acknowledged the suspect had studied there but said he left the university in 2018.

He "is not a current student at the American University in Cairo,” a statement said.

Sexual harassment is highly prevalent in Egypt.

United Nations surveys have found that most Egyptian women have been subject to harassment, ranging from catcalling to pinching and groping.

Egyptian authorities have criminalised sexual harassment since 2014, but many women complain that the problem remains rampant. — AFP