Facebook account helps police snare sex attacker
A SEX attacker who set up a Facebook account in a different name and didn’t tell police is back behind bars.
Misrak Eyob, 27, was released from prison in July 2012 after being convicted of assault with intent to rape in 2009.
As a sex offender he is required to provide details of financial and personal information, including opening bank accounts and social media accounts.
After a meeting with police, Eyob couldn’t be found at his home address and when they searched online they found a Facebook account of his in the name Rediot Eyob. When he appeared at the police office and was detained for questioning, officers found bank cards on him they also didn’t know about.
Eyob, originally from Eritrea, pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to failing to notify police about a bank account, bank cards and using Facebook under another name between July 2013 and December 2016.
Jailing Eyob for eight months yesterday, sheriff Paul Crozier said: “Notification requirements in terms of the Sexual Offences Act are put in place for a reason.”
Misrak Eyob was jailed for four years in 2009 after he was caught on CCTV trying to rape a 35-yearold woman in Royston, Glasgow.
The convicted sex offender, who claimed Satan made him carry out the attack, was reported in 2014 as acting as an interpreter for vulnerable young asylum-seekers in Glasgow.
The court heard in December that Eyob met with a police officer who had been newly-appointed to dealing with him.
During the meeting Eyob didn’t provide any new information to police. The officer later attempted to contact Eyob, although got no reply from him and asked a colleague at the digital media unit to investigate.
Procurator fiscal depute Lindsay Docherty said: “As a result police identified the accused had been using a Facebook name Rediot Eyob, the accused had not registered this name with police.”
Eyob went to the police station on December 12 and was detained for questioning. Defence lawyer Eamon Keane said the account was opened at the same time as the one he had informed police about and said Eyob didn’t register the bank cards, with some being out of date.