A Plymouth, Massachusetts, man has been arrested in connection with a seven-year-long cyberstalking campaign that included allegedly threatening and harassing a victim in Massachusetts through social media, email and other online platforms.
James Florence Jr., 36, was taken into custody Wednesday on one charge of cyberstalking and later made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston where he was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 16.
“Today, the FBI arrested James Florence Jr. for allegedly trying to hide behind his keyboard to sadistically cyberstalk and surveille the victim in this case, inflicting immense trauma and pain on both her and her family,” Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, said in a press release.
According to charging documents, Florence met the victim through a mutual friend and attended parties at the victim's former residence between 2015 and 2017.
Then starting in late 2017, Florence allegedly began creating multiple social media accounts and email addresses which he used to anonymously post photographs of the victim and photographs of her underwear, which been taken in her former home, on various websites.
Prosecutors allege that Florence posted digitally altered images depicting the victim as nude or semi-nude. He allegedly posted the victim’s personally identifiable information on these accounts and on numerous websites – including her personal email addresses, home address, professional contact information, account passwords and even a list of colors she had previously dyed her hair, in order to “dox” her.
He also allegedly programmed multiple artificial intelligence-driven chatbots with this information to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions with unknown users of those social media platforms.
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In addition to having received threatening messages from social media and email accounts believed to be controlled by Florence, prosecutors say the victim also received harassing and extorting communications that are believed to be from users who messaged the victim as a result of Florence’s posts encouraging them to do so.
Prosecutors allege that Florence would taunt the victim by creating accounts in her name, using her likeness and tagging them with phrases including derogatory language. Florence allegedly posted photo collages of the victim to the website, ladies.exposed, including images edited to make her appear nude or semi-nude along with all her personal identifying information and captions that encouraged viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere.”
According to prosecutors, the victim’s name, image and other personal information were posted on at least 13 websites. At least 27 unique accounts were used to harass, impersonate, or otherwise cause the victim substantial emotional distress, and the victim has received at least 60 distressing text messages, emails, or calls from unknown senders addressed to her discussing her image and information posted online through August 2024.
“The defendant’s alleged actions represent a chilling window into the dangers of online harassment and cyberstalking in the digital age. Using advanced technology to manipulate, torment, and publicly humiliate someone for years is not just reprehensible, it is criminal," Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in the press release. "No one should have to endure the kind of relentless harassment and devastating psychological toll that we allege this victim has bravely endured.”
“Our office is dedicated to ensuring that individuals who exploit online platforms to stalk, harass, and exploit others are held accountable," Levy added. "We will continue to use every resource available to protect victims of these crimes and to bring justice to keyboard cowards who abuse the digital landscape for their own malicious purposes.”
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
