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New York man pleads guilty to cyber stalking former classmate
Criminal Defense
A 25-year-old man pleaded guilty to cyber stalking a former college classmate and her parents. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison for what court documents referred to as a conspiracy to harass and intimidate the woman.
Kristian James O’Hara, of Rockland County, New York, conspired with Vincent James Palesky to harass the victim for 18 months using a variety of tactics. Between December 2016 and May 2018, they prank called her phone, had late-night food orders delivered to her home, left distressing voice messages and falsely accused her of giving them a sexually transmitted disease. During that period, the duo also cyber stalked five other people including colleagues and former high school acquaintances.
The harassment began in O’Hara’s senior year at Fordham University in the Bronx. He took advantage of his online social network connections with the victim to obtain details about her daily activities and whereabouts to design his cyber stalking plans. While the harassment was anonymous at first, he allegedly escalated it after she rejected his romantic advances.
O’Hara posted the victim’s personal information on a sex chat website, signed her up for memberships on Pornhub.com and other sites, and inundated her new cellphone number with unwanted calls. According to court documents, the harassment persisted even though the victim attempted to deter him. She became scared of leaving her apartment alone.
Cyber stalking is a form of stalking that involves using technology rather than being physically close to a targeted individual. As a result, it can sometimes occur anonymously or with help from another person, as in this case. If you have been charged with stalking or cyber stalking in New York, contact the defense lawyers at Brill Legal Group for experienced representation. We understand the serious nature of such allegations and know how to handle them.