Cyber-stalker made stabbing threats to his teenage victim
CAMPAIGN OF ONLINE ABUSE CAUSED ANXIETY AND DISTRESS TO 14-YEAR-OLD, COURT TOLD
A CYBER-STALKER targeted a teenage girl, telling her he knew where she lived, and was going to stab her and her family while they slept.
Liam Rodgers began his terrifying online campaign – sometimes firing off hundreds of messages every day – after telling the girl his mother had died.
But then he said his mother had not died, and the 14-year-old girl decided she did not want to speak to him any more, Nottingham Crown Court heard. Abusive messages followed.
She started receiving messages from other people who had been contacted by Rodgers.
One person who got in touch described himself as an Xbox worker and would get her banned for life by the messages she was sending.
He also said that his father was a police officer
– and that he would get her arrested.
Rodgers told her he knew where she lived, was watching her address, and threatened both her and her family with stabbings.
Despite her attempts to stop Rodgers, 25, of Fenton Close, Newark, fake accounts were created – one with a likeness to her purportedly trying to send him messages.
Screenshots of those messages were sent to her partner, as well as messages from Instagram, to undermine and sabotage her relationship.
Rodgers said he was going to ruin the teenager’s life and created further fake accounts pretending to be in a relationship with her.
After stopping for a month, he contacted her again in August 2020 via Facebook, claiming to be a seven-yearold child – and saying Rodgers himself had died from Covid.
Richardo Childs, prosecuting on Thursday, said the victim, who cannot be identified due to her age, did not wish for her personal statement to be read out.
But Mr Childs said it was clear that the offence had caused her considerable anxiety and distress. Rodgers, who attended court with his mother, pleaded guilty to stalking the teenager between May 2018 and February 2021. In mitigation, Rebecca Coleman said there was sincere remorse, and that he was of previous good character, had learning disabilities, and there had been a lack of offending since his arrest.
“He is fully aware the impact of his offending has had in this case,” she added. Recorder Paul Reid told Rodgers he had tried to hack into his victim’s Instagram account twice, causing her considerable anxiety and distress.
“As you can imagine, during lockdown, not being able to interact with other people made her more isolated,” he added.
He gave Rodgers a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, 30 rehabilitation activity days, and a fiveyear restraining order banning contact with the victim and restricting him from an area of West Yorkshire.
A order was also made to confiscate Rodgers’ games console.
He is fully aware the impact his offending has had in this case
Rebecca Coleman, for Rodgers