A court in Ghent has sentenced Gregory R., a man who used the pseudonym ‘Eveline’ online to get Flemish celebs to send him naked pics of themselves, a 4-year suspended prison sentence. Gregory R. must now get counselling for his sexual issues. His co-accused also received a suspended sentence.
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4-year suspended jail sentence for ‘Eveline’, who filched nude images from his victims
Colin Clapson
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The court found almost all the charges proven. Gregory R. was convicted of voyeurism, distributing sexually oriented images without consent, forgery and stalking. The court also accepted that Gregory R. possessed images of child sexual abuse.
The public prosecutor had asked for a 40-month suspended sentence, but the judge opted for a heavier sentence. He called the facts ‘extremely serious’ and the possession of the abuse images ‘reprehensible and unacceptable’.
The court did not impose a custodial sentence that had to be served at present. The judge stressed that first and foremost it was important for R. to seek treatment for his sexual problems. That is impossible in jail, he said.
If Gregory R. were to relapse, he will have to serve his jail sentence in prison.
Civil parties get damages
The case came to light 4 years ago when nude images of celebs Stan Van Samang, Sean D’hondt and Peter Van de Veire appeared on the internet.
The 3 men, like countless other victims, appeared to have been entrapped by a ‘catfisher’, someone who approaches people online with a false profile to obtain sensitive data.
Gregory R., along with another suspect, was arrested soon after the events. He was released but was arrested again and again for committing similar offences time and time again.
Most of the civil parties, including Sean D'hondt, Stan Van Samang and Peter Van de Veire, are now awarded damages. Claims by the Equality Institute and the Flemish tourism board were dismissed.