Omagh sex offender admits dozens of cybercrime charges

A CONVICTED sex-offender has admitted the majority of offences in a vast cybercrime investigation.

Omagh man, Ryan Eastwood was to stand trial on multiple charges committed while under strict court orders to prevent such offending.

When first charged, the number of victims was three but this soared to 34, the majority of whom were female.

All were targeted through online offending, despite the accused being banned from accessing the internet as part of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) imposed for previous convictions of a similar nature.

Eastwood (30) from Coolnagard View, Omagh originally faced 62 charges, half of which related to unauthorised access to computer material, while the rest included attempted intimidation, attempting to cause persons to engage in sexual activity, disclosing sexual images, breaching the SOPO and attempted blackmail.

At the most recent sitting of Dungannon Crown Court, Eastwood appeared by video-link from custody, where he has been held since his arrest, switching his previous denials to admitting 49 of the charges.

A prosecuting lawyer confirmed the remaining matters would be left on the court books.

Offending occurred on various dates between October 2019 and June 2022.

Judge Richard Greene KC described the case as “multi-stranded with a number of different types of offending.”

He remanded Eastwood in continuing custody until sentencing on November 7.

Although no details surrounding the circumstances of offending were disclosed, court papers show Eastwood managed to access the social media accounts of some victims, in one instance falsely claiming to be an employee with Ann Summers lingerie company to obtain images.The Sexual Offences Prevention Order breaches relate to Eastwood accessing an internet-capable device and engaging with females on social media, both of which he was expressly banned from doing, but according to court papers was ongoing for two years before his offending was discovered.

voyeurism

The SOPO was first imposed in 2019 when Eastwood was convicted of voyeurism after posing as a modelling agency owner, using a similar email to a legitimate company, to persuade a woman to undress during an online ‘interview.’

The victim, however became suspicious, and alerted police.

Eastwood was jailed and made subject to sex-offender registration as well as the SOPO, which among multiple terms, banned access to any internet device, camera or computer.

There was also a ban on developing online relationships with women.

However, in 2021 investigations were launched after two victims in England reported their Instagram and Snapchat accounts had been ‘compromised’.

An email address on one victim’s account was linked to an internet provider at Eastwood’s home, although in his mother’s name.

He was arrested and a search recovered a number of internet-capable devices.

Paperwork relating to one compromised victim’s email address was also found during the search.

He later admitted engaging with a female on social media without the approval of his Designated Risk Manager between October 4, 2019 and November 29, 2021 – indicating offending recommenced just a short time after he was sentenced for the previous matter.