Romanian man jailed for blackmail of tragic teen Ronan Hughes

By David Hunter

The PSNI say a Romanian man has been jailed for blackmailing the Coalisland teenager Ronan Hughes. 

The 17 year old took his own life in June 2015 after being tricked into posting images of himself online.

31 year old Yulian Enache pleaded guilty to blackmail and making or distrubing indecent images of a child when he appeared in a Romanian court last week. 

He's been sentenced to four years in prison, however, under Romanian law will serve three.

Police say they probe into the Co.Tyrone schoolboy's death was wide ranging and focused on several areas of online activity. 

It involved a multi-agency investigation including Romanian Police, Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, the National Crime Agency, and Europol.

Detective Chief Inspector James Mullen, from PSNI’s Criminal Investigation Branch, said: “This has been a tragic case and, first and foremost, in our minds is the family of Ronan Hughes who have lost a son and a brother. We must never forget that.

“I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Hughes family for the dignity they have shown since their devastating loss, and for their co-operation and patience with our investigation. 

“This has been a complex and protracted investigation over the course of two years, involving a huge effort between PSNI officers who travelled to Romania working closely with our colleagues there, and prosecuting officers in the jurisdiction. 

DCI Mullen continued “A four-year prison sentence is no compensation for the loss of Ronan Hughes - a young man who had his whole life ahead of him – however, there can be no doubt that the sentence means others will be spared the pain and loss experienced by the Hughes family at the hands of Enache. 

"We understand the level of media interest in this development, however, we are in close contact with the Hughes family and they have asked us to remind all media that they do not wish to be contacted at this time, and would ask the media to respect their wishes."

Police have also issued general advice :

1. Don’t accept friend requests with someone you don’t know - everyone online may not be who they say they are.

2. Set privacy settings on all devices so that only people you know can view your account.

3. Don’t post anything online that you are not happy to be shared, particularly nude or nearly nude images or videos. It may seem like a bit of fun with friends at the time but there is always a chance those images could be shared or get into the wrong hands and could lead to harmful situations such as stalking, abuse or blackmail.

4. If someone has made you feel uncomfortable or you have had disturbing interaction online, tell police or a trusted adult. You can ring the police on 101 or for help and advice ring Childline on 0800 1111 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.

5. The internet can be a great place but it is important to remember there are people out there who may wish to abuse, exploit, intimidate or bully you online – if this happens to you, tell someone immediately.

6. Remember that if things do go wrong online, there are people who can help.

7. If you receive any inappropriate images or links, it is important that you do not forward it to anyone else. Contact police or tell a trusted adult immediately. By doing this you could help prevent further such incidents.