'Counter-Strike' player gets 1,000-year ban for sexually harassing an alleged minor
After Counter-Strike players compiled and posted evidence that a fellow player was sexually harassing an alleged minor, competitive Counter-Strike community and league organizer ESEA hit him with an unprecedented ban to last 1,000 years.
25-year-old Counter-Strike player Reece "Bloominator" Bloom was banned from ESEA until June 5, 3016 after community members posted photos of conversations he had with an alleged 15-year-old girl on Reddit. The thread has since been deleted but ESEA members kept the incriminating screenshots and reposted them on the ESEA forums and in a later Reddit thread.
The screenshots include sexual requests from Bloom, a thumbnail of a sexual video he sent to the minor and a message where he admits he is a pedophile. Some of the evidence was collected in an Imgur album, which is NSFW due to explicit text and images.
After the original Reddit thread was deleted, a thread titled "Bloominator is a pedo?" was posted on the ESEA forums Thursday. Bloom himself commented in the thread multiple times Thursday, seemingly with no remorse for his actions or the accusations.
Bloom was banned later that day for "Malicious Activity," which normally results in a 365-day ban.
Since then, Bloom posted an apology on Twitter but then deleted his account.
"No excuses, obviously incredibly stupid of me to do what I did and I'd like to apologize foremost to Armor Esports for ruining a perfectly good situation they had with their CS:GO team this season," he said in the apology. "I am aware I'm hated by many for good reason, But please keep the hate on me, don't give crap to to any of my friends or orgs [I've] associated with. I hope some people can forgive me, but I understand if not, glhf."
Bloom was a member of the team Armor Esports, which is currently ranked seventh in ESEA's North American Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Main league (two steps below the Professional league).
ESEA did not responded to our request for comment in time for publication.
