CYBER STALKER LIAM RODGERS SENTENCED FOR ONLINE THREATS AND HARASSMENT
A cyber stalker targeted a teenage girl online and via Instagram, telling her he knew where she lived, and was going to stab her and her family while they were sleeping.Liam Rodgers first began his terrifying campaign - sometimes firing off hundreds of messages a day - after telling her 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 with him anymore, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
Abusive messages followed.
She started receiving messages from other people who had been referred by Rodgers.
One person said he was an Xbox worker and would get her banned for life by the messages she was sending - and that his father was a cop and would get her arrested.
Rodgers stated he knew where she lived, was watching her address, made threats to her family that he was going to stab her and them while they were sleeping.
Despite trying 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 stated 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 one month, he contacted her in August 2020 via Facebook, claiming to be a seven-year-old child - and the defendant had died from Covid.
Richardo Childs, prosecuting on Thursday (November 11), 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 the offence had caused considerable anxiety and distress.
Rodgers, who attended court with his mum, pleaded guilty to stalking the teenager between May 2018 and February 2021.
Mitigating, Rebecca Coleman said there was sincere remorse, 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 Reid told Rodgers he had tried to hack into her Instagram account on two occasions, attempting to take control of it, and it had clearly caused 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 five-year restraining order - banning contact with her and restricting him from an area of West Yorkshire.
A depravation order was made to confiscate his games console.
