Man Charged With Cyberstalking Woman For 2 Years

BOSTON (AP) — A man has been charged in federal court for anonymously stalking a woman by text message and social media for two years.

Twenty-nine-year old, Joseph Kukstis was arrested Tuesday for allegedly cyberstalking a woman from Sept. 2015 to October 2017. He dated the woman for 14 months, beginning two months into the period he was allegedly anonymously stalking her.

According to the complaint Kukstis sent the victim hundreds of degrading text messages, including many that urged her to kill herself. The document goes on to say Kukstis sent intimate pictures of the victim to her friends through a fake Instagram account he created under her name. The woman changed her phone number several times and eventually alerted police and the FBI.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, OKCupid and Tinder were additionally used to communicate with the woman. In one email from Jan. 2018, he admits to being her stalker.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling says Kukstis also allegedly sent himself harassing messages as the victim so he could acclaim he was also a victim of cyberstalking.

If found guilty, Kukstis faces up to five years in prison, restitution and a fine of $250,000.

An attorney for Kukstis could not be immediately identified.

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