Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking Young Girls
Many people use social media to post all sorts of things, including sexually explicit content. They may use sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram to send nude photos to others. While this may be OK in instances where there is consent, sending graphic content to minors can result in serious criminal charges.
This is what happened to a Florida man. A 28-year-old Pensacola man is headed to prison after pleading guilty to sending sexually explicit images to young girls over social media. According to prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Florida, the man pled guilty to multiple criminal charges, including cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minors.
Between 2022 and 2024, the man messaged several girls between 9 and 15 years old using at least 10 social media accounts. He messaged girls in north Florida and south Alabama.
The girls and their parents had asked the man several times to stop sending messages, but he refused. Instead, he sent graphic content that described him engaging in sexual acts with the minors. He also sent photos of his genitals.
The man was arrested after an investigation in Florida and Alabama, which involved the Dothan Police Department and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office. The man will be sentenced in September. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
Cyberstalking in Florida
Cyberstalking involves using electronic communication — such as emails, text messages, social media, or other digital platforms — to engage in a pattern of conduct that causes substantial emotional distress to another person and serves no legitimate purpose.
Cyberstalking consists of three main elements:
- Repeated electronic communication directed at a specific person.
- Intent to harass, threaten, or intimidate.
- The communication must cause emotional distress and be unwelcome or without legitimate purpose.
Cyberstalking is typically a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and $1,000 in fines. However, cyberstalking becomes a third-degree felony (up to five years in prison) if:
- The victim is under a protective order.
- The offender makes a credible threat.
- The victim is a minor under 16 years old.
Florida has a stalking law in place that allows police to arrest someone on probable cause without a warrant. Any sentence imposed for stalking will run consecutively to any sentence for sexual battery, lewdness or indecent exposure on a minor, or making certain computer pornography transmissions to a minor. Because the man in this case sent the minors graphic photos of himself, he faces harsher sentencing.
Contact a Legal Professional for Help
The growth of social media and mobile devices has dramatically expanded the ability of computer and internet technology to connect people. At the same time, it has led to a new category of criminal offenses involving the use of digital platforms.
Computer crimes can be highly technical. Protect yourself with help from a Florida computer & internet crime lawyer from the Law Offices of Gilbert A. Schaffnit. I have many years of experience in this area. Schedule a consultation today. Fill out the online form or call (352) 505-1799.
Source:
wdhn.com/news/florida-man-pleads-guilty-to-cyberstalking-sending-nudes-to-young-girls-in-the-wiregrass/
