A Maryland man has been charged with cyberstalking after he allegedly called a former girlfriend 815 times over the course of 48 hours in December 2022, among other offenses, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release.
Derik Wayne Bowers allegedly utilized social media in addition to the purported phone calls in repeated attempts to contact his ex-girlfriend. Over a period of several months Bowers sent his ex thousands of text messages, according to the DOJ statement released Monday.
Bowers allegedly embarrassed his victim and interfered with her work through the form of social media posts. The purported calls and messages formed a broader campaign of harassment and intimidation, according to the DOJ.
Man charged with cyberstalking West Virginia ex-girlfriend https://t.co/m7W65jEL32
— WBOY 12News (@WBOY12News) March 27, 2023
“Cyberstalking is a pervasive problem that we treat very seriously in West Virginia,” U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld said in the press release.
Ihlenfeld additionally encouraged “those who are being intimidated online and who suffer substantial emotional distress as a result to file a police report so that wrongdoers may be investigated and held to account.”
If Bowers receives a conviction, he faces a five-year prison sentence with consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, along with additional statutory factors as determined by a federal district court judge, according to the DOJ. (RELATED: Lana Del Ray Granted A Restraining Order Against Stalker Who Allegedly Stole Her Car)
A stalker murdered a Washington state podcaster and her husband in early March, while actor Keanu Reeves obtained a temporary restraining order earlier in 2023 against a stalker who claimed to be a relative of his.