A man who uploaded the UK’s Top 40 singles to The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents each week has pleaded guilty to copyright infringement and fraud offenses. Wayne Evans, known online as OldSkoolScouse, was arrested last year by PIPCU after offering a capella tracks to other budding DJs and remixers.

Following a joint investigation with licensing outfit PRS for Music, last September officers from PIPCU and Merseyside police raided an address in Everton, Liverpool.

Their target was a then 38-year-old man believed to be involved in the unlawful distribution of music online. It was claimed that in addition to uploading packs of the UK’s Top 40 Singles to various torrent sites each week, the man also ran his own website offering a capella versions.

Last month, the man at the center of the case appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court for a preliminary hearing. Now 39-year-old Wayne Evans spoke only to confirm his personal details.

On Friday, Evans appeared again, this time at Liverpool Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing an article infringing copyright and one of possessing or controlling an article for use in fraud.

As revealed by TF last year, Evans ran DeeJayPortal, a site specializing in a capella tracks and other DJ resources.

DeeJayPortal

However, what is still not being mentioned, even by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, is that Evans was better known under another name.

For years, Evans referred to himself across various projects as OldSkoolScouse. Indeed, DeeJayPortal was originally launched under that name. But it was Evans’ presence on The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents that will be perhaps most remembered online.

Each week under his OldSkoolScouse accounts, Evans uploaded a pack of the UK’s current Top 40 Singles. The more than 200 torrents he uploaded to KickassTorrents alone were extremely popular with fans.

According to various online profiles created by Evans over the years, the 39-year-old has a keen and long-standing interest in music.

“I’ve Been Dj’ing for about 20 years, started out doing the mobile discos, partys [sic], weddings that kinda thing for the first couple of years, then moved on into the clubs, and basically found my calling, been doing it ever since,” he wrote on a dating site three years ago.

Both DeeJayPortal.co.uk and OldSkoolScouse.co.uk currently display the familiar banner of PIPCU, both having been seized by the specialist copyright enforcement unit.

“This significant result highlights the issue of digital piracy and its profound effect on the music industry and individual artists whose work is being infringed,” says Detective Constable Steven Kettle, who was in charge of the case.

“Evans distributed Top 40 chart music and ‘a cappella’ music on a large scale causing significant losses to the industry and he now awaits sentencing. This investigation demonstrates PIPCUs commitment in tackling the complex issue of online piracy and the importance of working with our industry partners which includes PRS in achieving the strongest and most successful outcomes.”

Evans was granted unconditional bail and will return to court for sentencing November 11, 2016.