FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Eighteen-year-old Deano Thomas of a Race Course address in Falmouth was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Falmouth Parish Court last Friday to answer to charges of three counts of rape and for using computer for malicious communication.

He has been remanded until Wednesday, December 8 when he will return to court.

Thomas was charged after the police uncovered a child pornographic scheme allegedly executed to trick female students he meets online into sending him nude pictures. He then, allegedly, blackmails the girls whose images he threatens to post on social media if they refuse to have sex with him.

The police say a number of girls met and had sex with him.

The police say they also discovered over 2,000 photographs and more than 1,000 videos of naked girls all under the age of 18 years old on the accused man’s cellular phone.

Thomas was reportedly held during a sting operation on October 25 after one of his alleged victims lodged a complaint at the Falmouth Police Station.

“A victim contacted the Falmouth CIB and made a report that a man contacted her via social media threatening to post a nude photograph of her on various websites if she does not have sexual intercourse with him,” Acting Detective Inspector Eulette Green told the Jamaica Observer West recently.

“Based on the report that was made to the police, a sting operation was set up on October 25. He was held meeting the victim who was a part of the sting operation. An iPhone was seized, several nude pictures and videos of young girls, some known to the police in Trelawny and other parishes, were seen on his cell phone. “

The cops are reporting that Thomas could be slapped with other charges as other alleged victims of the ruse have been coming forward.

The accused man, investigators say, is also facing charges for breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transaction) (Special Provisions) Act.

JMO-2021-11-24.pdf