Who is Adam Syers? Man who used Fortnite to 'groom young boys' had once filmed toddler with sexual comments
A 23-year-old man, who had allegedly filmed a toddler previously and made sexual comments before posting the video on Facebook, has been jailed for two years after using Fortnite to reportedly try to groom boys as young as seven online.
In September 2020, according to local news reports, Adam Syers, also known as Adam Shipley, was sentenced to ten weeks in prison and suspended for two years after he admitted to sending indecent communication after filming a mother and toddler walking down the street outside his then address in Orford, Warrington, in England last May.
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According to reports, within hours of being spared jail, he was back online, trying to snare children playing Fortnite and Roblox on Xbox. Using the username JuicyGamer, he reportedly let a 12-year-old boy spend £200 (USD 277.4) on his credit card and got the child to send him a photo of himself in shorts. He then allegedly targeted a seven-year-old boy, asking him whether he wanted to go on a date with him and be his boyfriend.
On the same day as his court appearance, he began communicating with a 12-year-old boy via Xbox Live, before their chats progressed onto Instagram, according to Daily Mail. The boy's mother reportedly noticed a credit card on her son's Xbox gaming account registered to AG Shipley.
The young boy revealed that Syers reportedly asked him not to tell his parents and to send a picture of himself wearing shorts, which he did. He also reportedly said that during their chats, Syers asked him to turn his camera on and sent messages saying he missed him and loved him.
The boy’s mother reportedly made him delete anyone he hadn't met in person from his Xbox contacts and forbade him from chatting on Xbox, which has been difficult for the boy since he has been missing school friends due to the pandemic. His mother said, “This has had an impact on his emotional wellbeing as he now feels like he can't be trusted to play games and interact with others on his Xbox,” adding that she now keeps a check on her son and who he was playing with.
She said, “He gets upset and feels that we don't trust him anymore. He doesn't understand the severity of the situation or what could have happened. We don't expect him to because he's only 12 years old. He thinks we blame him, which breaks our heart, as none of this was his fault. He is so trusting. He genuinely thought Mr Syers was his friend. He's been left upset and confused.”
Who is Adam Syers?
The 23-year-old British man used to reside in Poplars and Hulme in Warrington. But now he reportedly resides in Newton-le-Willows. Last year, Magistrates gave Syers a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), banning him from contacting boys online and told him to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register for the same period.
Syers had recorded a mother and her child walking down Poplars Avenue. The video, which was uploaded to social media, was narrated by him who spoke about how he wanted to “have sex with the child”. The mother was made aware of the video and reported it to the police. She said, “I am scared to walk down the street as I am reminded by the incident. I cannot sleep as I have nightmares and horrible thoughts.”
In his defense then, Syers’ lawyer said that his client had shown an “acceptance of responsibility" for what he has done and cited that he has no previous convictions. His lawyer also said that Syers had mental problems and a “considerable degree of immaturity” but had “shown remorse” and had accepted that he “acted stupidly”.
Syers was also reportedly talking to a seven-year-old boy via Xbox Live and TikTok on September 6, 2020. That child's mother discovered “inappropriate messages” between the two on October 5, 2020. Syers had reportedly given his phone number to the young boy, and asked him “can I meet you” and also said, “I love you.” The boy said when he told Syers he was seven, the 23-year-old man asked him if he wanted to go to his house to play football or Fortnite.
His lawyer said that Syers only had "himself to blame" for not taking the chance given to him last year. She also said Syers was diagnosed with ADHD, autism, learning and speech difficulties and struggled to put on weight because of stomach ulcers.
She said, "He himself has had a difficult upbringing. He was taken into care from a relatively young age, he himself has suffered abuse whilst in foster care and he also had to deal with the death of his mother. He now has no contact at all with any of his family members and is effectively isolated within the community."