Man used drone over 120 times to stalk teens, forcing one family to move, US cops say


Brackman, 44, of Canonsburg, was charged June 11 with numerous counts of stalking, possession of an instrument of crime, harassment, and unlawful use of a manned aircraft, court records show. — Unsplash

A Pennsylvania man is accused of using a drone to stalk five teenage girls more than 120 times, local news outlets report.

Michael Brackman, 44, of Canonsburg, was charged June 11 with numerous counts of stalking, possession of an instrument of crime, harassment, and unlawful use of a manned aircraft, court records show.

Brackman is scheduled to be formally arraigned Aug 29, according to court records.

A 13-year-old victim told authorities a drone followed her almost any time she left the house, estimating it happened as many as 90 times, the Observer-Reporter reported, citing charging documents.

Shortly after an adult in her home pointed a gun at the drone to deter the behaviour, they found a letter on their door saying it was a crime to point a gun at a drone, dissuading the family from reporting the activity to police, the outlet reported.

The family eventually moved due to the stalking, WPVI and WPXI reported.

Another victim told police she’d seen the drone outside of her bedroom window, WPVI reported.

“That was a hobby of his,” Brackman’s attorney, Bruce Carsia, said of his client’s drone usage in an interview with WTAE at a preliminary hearing.

“He was on house arrest, he couldn’t go out, so he was flying the drone, and they felt threatened,” Carsia said. “It will be for a later date for somebody to make that decision whether they were threatened or not.”

Police said other girls and their families reported receiving sexual notes and seeing flyers posted around their neighbourhoods with pictures of kids taken with Brackman’s drone, WPXI reported.

Brackman is being held at the Washington County prison on US$10,000 (RM46,775) bail, court records show.

Canonsburg is about a 20-mile drive southwest from Pittsburgh. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Stalker

   

Next In Tech News

Preview: 'Indiana Jones and the Great Circle' is shaping up to be the most authentic video game Indy experience
How a dire shortage of video game consoles helped prove that gaming boosts mental health
Cybersecurity expert offers tips on how to protect against ever-evolving Internet scams
Firm in US accidentally hires North Korean hacker
vivo Malaysia launches game-changing V40 Series
Meta, Spotify CEOs take aim at European AI regulations
Microsoft to host cybersecurity summit after CrowdStrike-induced IT outage
Meta cancels plans for high-end mixed-reality headset, the Information reports
U.S. Justice Department accuses RealPage of driving up rents
Kenya's Safaricom urges new requirements for satellite providers like Starlink

Others Also Read