Harry Styles Imposter Arrested For Luring Underage Girls to Perform Sex Acts Online
A 45-year-old man has been arrested for posing as boy band heartthrob Harry Styles and enticing young girls to perform sex acts online. John Eastman of Connecticut is charged with employing a minor in an obscene performance among other charges.
The Waterbury Republican-American reported that Eastman lured children into getting naked or performing sex acts in front of their webcam by claiming that he was Styles, a member of the popular British boy band.
Investigators found out that he used the username Harry.Styles888 on Skype along with pictures of the teen singer in an effort to convince young victims that he was really their idol. He would also sometimes offer children concert tickets if they do as he asked.
"My hope is that the girl will show me herself on camera and then pose in a sexual manner, or perform some kind of sex act for me to see," he told detectives, according to his arrest warrant.
He used his webcam to record underage girls while they perform sexual acts. His computer was found to contain more than 500 images of child pornography images and videos, including those of children believed to be as young as 5 years old. He also has videos of Styles and other singers like Justin Bieber.
The Associated Press said that police began investigating the accused after they were contacted by a Vermont state trooper looking into a complaint from a family about a conversation between three girls and someone posing as Styles on Skype.
Eastman was interviewed in late 2012 by the police, willingly handing over them his computer. He fled to Virginia, but was later arrested and returned to Connecticut. He is currently held in jail on a $500,000 bond.
He is due back in court Thursday where he will face charges including first-degree possession of child pornography, using a computer to entice a minor, and employing a minor in an obscene performance.
This isn't his first arrest. His criminal history reveals conviction for fourth-degree sexual assault. He spent 10 years on the state's sex offender registry before his name was removed in 2009.