WALTHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - A Newton man convicted of carrying out an extensive cyberstalking campaign, as well as issuing several bomb threats in Waltham, will spend a minimum of seven years in prison.
Ryan S. Lin, 25, pleaded guilty 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.
Officers arrested Lin in October 2017 after learning that he engaged in a cyberstalking campaign against a 24-year-old woman who used to be his former housemate.
Lin hacked into the victim’s online accounts and devices, and stole private photographs, personally identifiable information and private diary entries that contained highly sensitive details about her medical, psychological and sexual history between May of 2016 and Oct. 5, 2017. He would then send the private pictures and information to hundreds of people associated with the victim.
He also created fake online profiles in the victim’s name and solicited rape fantasies, prompting other men to show up at her home.
Along with the former housemate, he cyberstalked six additional people, with some associated with the victim and some not.
Lin created a false social media profile of the victim’s housemate in Waltham and posted that he was going to “shoot up” a school in Waltham, stating that there would be “blood and corpses everywhere.” He then went on to make threats to other local schools, private homes, businesses and other institutions.
Ultimately, Lin pleaded guilty to making over 100 bomb threats, including 24 in one day.
Lin could spend a maximum of 17.5 years in prison. He has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Sept. 14.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)