U.S. Attorney for the Sothern District of Indiana Josh Minkler has announced stalking charges against a Mississippi man.
43-year-old Orlando L. Webber, of Columbus, has been charged with five counts of interstate stalking after Minkler says he stalked as many as 30 high school-aged girls over a four year period across several social media sites. Most victims recall receiving “vulgar and sexually explicit communications” from Webber when they were 15-16 years old.
In April 2016, “Victim 1” contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tip Line to report that she and several other Evansville, Indiana area girls were being harassed through their Twitter accounts. The messages included “nude photographs of an adult male asking for sexual favors.”
During the investigation, FBI agents used facial recognition technology through the Mississippi Fusion Center to identify Webber, who lives with his mother in Columbus. Minkler stated that while social media has created a tool for stalkers to use, they cannot hide from the law.
“Stalking is no longer a face-to-face crime,” Minkler said. “Social media has made us all vulnerable to criminals who can stalk from anywhere in the world. Those who believe they can remain anonymous should plan on federal law enforcement knocking on their door.”
Webber has been charged with five counts of interstate stalking, and he could face a total of 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
