Gross Dude Arrested For Pretending To Be Harry Styles Online, Tricking Underage Girls Into Gross Underage Sex

John Eastman seems to have developed a compelling strategy for ensnaring underage girls online. A plan that involved setting up a Skype account, using a handful of pictures of One Direction’s dreamy Harry Styles, and hitting up girls as Harry.Styles888. Unfortunately, his victims were just young enough to believe that they were corresponding, and performing sexual acts, for The Harry Styles. Some are reportedly as young as five years old, which presents an additional parenting concern.

Gossip Cop reports that Eastman, of Waterbury, Connecticut, was arrested for coercing minors into posing naked and engaging in sexual acts. These encounters were recorded, contributing to a child porn stash:

Eastman’s computer reportedly contained hundreds of pictures and videos constituting child pornography, including many images that were allegedly captured during his Styles ruse…Eastman was arraigned on Thursday on charges including employing a minor in an obscene performance.

But what’s equally disturbing is that Eastman’s victims weren’t necessarily intending to sexually engage with Harry Styles for the hell of it. Reports indicate that these young girls were exchanging nude images and sex acts for concert tickets. Concert tickets that the faux-Harry Styles allegedly promised them.

Underage girls swapping their sexuality (if they’re even aware of it as such) for gifts does not detract from them being victimized. Nor does their sexuality justify the alleged predatory reach of an adult. But their willingness to capitalize on nude-y pics — as minors — is nevertheless concerning. However, the tactic certainly doesn’t come out of nowhere.

We live in a culture where 13-year-olds are told via their birthday cards that what matters most is having rich boyfriends who buy them fancy presents. Where they can look forwarded to “bigger boobies” with which to procure these presents. Where one of the biggest lady-driven franchises equates true love with a dude who buys you a walk-in closet. The sex/money trade-off is something we have culturally endorsed, even for our kids.

(photo: Featureflash / Shutterstock)