14 DAY TRIAL // A Newton, Massachusetts man was sentenced to 210 months behind bars after pleading guilty for multiple counts of cyberstalking a former female housemate, computer hacking, aggravated identity theft, and hoax bomb threats, among others.
Ryan S. Lin, 25, engaged in a cyberstalking campaign against a 25-year old former female housemate between May 2016 through Oct. 5, 2017, hacking into her online accounts and stealing personally identifiable information, as well as private information such as photos, diary entries, medical details, and more.
The stolen data was subsequently distributed by Lin to hundreds of people in her circle of friends and her family members, co-workers, and other unknown third parties.
Lin also created fake online profiles in his victim's name posting fraudulent sexual solicitations in her name, drawing multiple men to her home. Moreover, the crook also sent large numbers of text messages and hoaxes to his target.
Investigators also found out that Lin occupied his time with other things besides cyberstalking his former housemate, as he made more than 120 hoax bomb threats and sending unsolicited pornographic images.
Ryan S. Lin's cyberstalking campaign also targeted the victim's family members and friends
The bomb threats were directing law enforcement agencies to the victim’s Waltham residence, as well as to "schools, homes, businesses and other institutions" from multiple towns around Waltham to the end of his hoax bomb threat spree.
Lin also directed his cyberstalking campaign towards the victim's mother, housemate, a New Jersey friend, and two of her former New York classmates.
According to Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs "Lin pleaded guilty in April 2018 to seven counts of cyberstalking, five counts of distribution of child pornography, nine counts of making hoax bomb threats, three counts of computer fraud and abuse and one count of aggravated identity theft."
Furthermore, the criminal also accepted as part of his plea agreement to receive a sentence of a minimum of 7 years and a maximum of 17 and a half years of imprisonment, with the judge sentencing him to the maximum possible time behind bars.