Plymouth Man Charged with 2-Year Cyberstalking Campaign
BOSTON, MA – In a disturbing case of cyberstalking, 29-year-old Joseph Kukstis of Plymouth, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged in federal court with stalking a woman by text message and social media for over two years.
According to the charging documents, between September 2015 and about October 2017, Kukstis targeted the victim with an anonymous harassment campaign that was intended to cause substantial emotional distress. The campaign included sending the victim hundreds of degrading text messages, many of which urged her to kill herself, as well as instilling fear in the victim that her harasser was coming to her home.
Kukstis also created a ‘spoofed’ Instagram account in the victim’s name and sent private, intimate pictures of the victim to her friends and acquaintances. Furthermore, he harassed men who Kukstis believed were romantically involved with the victim and attempted to obtain or obtained unauthorized access to the victim’s social media accounts.
Kukstis even went so far as to send himself harassing messages that he then shared with the victim, purportedly as proof to her that he, too, was a victim of the stalking. On January 22, 2018, Kukstis sent an email from an account in his own name to the victim, saying: ‘it was me the entire time, I hate myself for it.’
Kukstis, a 29-year-old resident of Plymouth, Massachusetts, was charged with one count of stalking by electronic means. If convicted, he faces a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and restitution.
A U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Judge will preside over Kukstis’ case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, and Kukstis is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
– Full Name: Joseph Kukstis
– Charges: One count of stalking by electronic means
– City and State: Plymouth, Massachusetts
– Date: Between September 2015 and about October 2017
– Sentence: Up to 5 years in prison, 3 years supervised release, $250,000 fine, and restitution
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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