In the California case, in July and August 2020, Roberts used text messages and Internet communications to place the two victims ‘in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury’, and that he intended to cause ‘substantial emotional distress’, according to court documents. — Image by drobotdean on Freepik
LOS ANGELES: A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 85 months in federal prison for stalking two sisters in California by sending them text messages that threatened them with rape and murder and for threatening and harassing a teenage girl in Georgia.
Alex Scott Roberts, 27, of Chatsworth, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr, who called Roberts’ conduct “egregious”.
Roberts pleaded guilty in August 2022 to two counts of stalking. He has been in federal custody since December 2020.
In the California case, in July and August 2020, Roberts used text messages and Internet communications to place the two victims “in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury”, and that he intended to cause “substantial emotional distress”, according to court documents.
After being told by an individual identified in court papers as “Victim 1” and her family that the woman did not want to communicate with Roberts, he created a listing on Craigslist that offered a room for rent at Victim 1’s home and invited prospective renters to “Stop by anytime”, court papers state.
Roberts then sent anonymous text messages to a friend of Victim 1 that demanded Victim 1’s phone number, threatened to publish nude photographs of Victim 1, and threatened to send someone to rape Victim 1.
He also sent numerous anonymous messages to Victim 1, Victim 1’s sister, and at least one friend of Victim 1, demanding Victim 1’s telephone number, threatening to send nude photographs of Victim 1, threatening to send someone to rape Victim 1 and her sister, and threatening to kill Victim 1 and her family.
In the Georgia case, in June 2020, Roberts sent a series of threatening and harassing messages to a 15-year-old girl, identified in court papers as “Minor 1”.
Roberts claimed to possess nude images of Minor 1 and threatened to send the images to her parents as “payback” if she did not send Roberts additional nude images. He then sent harassing and threatening messages to Minor 1 via both text message and Instagram.
In response to his threats to send nude images of Minor 1 to her family, Minor 1 sent Roberts “selfie” photographs of herself. Roberts responded by continuing to send Minor 1 harassing messages, including several messages containing edited versions of the “selfie” photographs Minor 1 had sent to Roberts in response to his threats.
“Only a few months after being paroled on state prison sentences related to stalking and extorting young women online ... Roberts began tormenting new victims,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “His messages traumatised the victims, putting them in fear for their lives and the lives of their family.”
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Restrepo of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case. – The Albany Herald, Ga./Tribune News Service
