David Ackell, 48, Guilty of Interstate Cyberstalking

David Ackell, 48, of Seekonk, Massachusetts, was convicted today on federal charges of interstate stalking after a weeks-long campaign of digital terror aimed at a New Hampshire woman he met online. A federal jury in Concord, N.H., returned the verdict following four hours of deliberation, capping a trial that exposed a brutal pattern of coercion, threats, and psychological control.

According to court documents and testimony, Ackell initiated contact with the victim through social media in 2013, quickly cultivating an online relationship that turned predatory. He pressured the woman into sending explicit photographs of herself, then weaponized the images, threatening to release them to her family and friends unless she complied with his demands. The threats were relentless, delivered through messages that left the victim fearing for her safety and reputation.

Federal prosecutors detailed how Ackell used the internet to cross state lines in his harassment, triggering federal jurisdiction. The charge of interstate cyberstalking carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The prosecution argued that Ackell’s actions were not just invasive but criminal, constituting a sustained campaign of fear designed to control and humiliate.

Assistant United States Attorneys Helen White Fitzgibbon and Robert Kinsella led the prosecution, presenting digital evidence, message logs, and testimony that painted a damning picture of Ackell’s conduct. The defense offered no denial of the communications but challenged the severity of the charges. The jury rejected that argument, delivering a swift guilty verdict after a trial that began December 13, 2016.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 11, 2017. Before then, the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office will compile a sentencing investigation report, which will include an analysis under the advisory federal sentencing guidelines. Ackell remains free on strict conditions pending sentencing.

The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hancock, New Hampshire, Police Department, and the Seekonk, Massachusetts, Police Department. Authorities emphasized that cyberstalking is not a victimless crime — it leaves lasting psychological scars and will be met with full federal force when it crosses state lines.