Answer is yes! I applied for ESTA while currently on SOR, it was approved.

I will be travelling while finally off though.

And I didn't lie anyway. Mine was a damageless crime.

You may wish to read the unlock guidance on this. https://unlock.org.uk/advice/travelling-us-need-visa/

The immigration rules have not changed, but the wording has. Things that used to be referred to as crimes of moral turpitude were replaced by offences causing serious damage or harm. The test is subjective, but any sexual offence would be a crime of moral turpitude, therefore it is also a crime causing serious damage and/or harm. Psychological harm and damage to victims also counts BTW. 

Unlock suggests that if you use the online wizard to complete the ESTA form you will be asked about being arrested, but if you do not use the online wizard, you will only be asked about drugs,serious harm and fraud. As Unlock themselves noted "There is an anomaly here between the ESTA and the on-line guidance. We’ve highlighted this to the Embassy but we would suggest that you work from the questions on the ESTA form."

Whether you get caught though, depends on whether you show up on any databases, not how you answer the questions.

Hey, I've decided to chance it and go via Ireland pre-clearence. I have nothing to lose.

I'll be off the register. And there was simply no infliction of harm, I mean we can debate wrongness, but harm is something else.

I also have a clean CRB check in among my travel paperwork stash, going back to 2022.

Let us know how it goes 

I actually will - I'm keen to leave some data behind for posterity.