Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Military

Local Naval Seaman Charged By Federal Authorities With Cyberstalking Woman

An aerial photo of Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, CA.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Austin Haist / U.S. Navy
An aerial photo of Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, CA.

A local Naval seaman was arraigned in San Diego federal court Wednesday on charges of cyberstalking a woman and posting sexually explicit videos and pictures of her on the internet.

Sergio Reinaldo Williams, 36, of Coronado, is accused of repeatedly threatening the unidentified woman and posting sexual content of her on sites like Pornhub, as well as sending sexually explicit content to her family.

According to an indictment, Williams posted videos of the woman on Pornhub without her knowledge or consent and sent screenshots of the videos to the woman's niece. Williams also allegedly included the woman's Instagram account and hometown in the videos posted on Pornhub, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which said he also sent "graphic sexual messages" to the woman and her family.

Advertisement

He allegedly texted the victim, "I'm always around and my eyes are everywhere."

When she blocked him on social media, he texted, "U want it to be over with and this fade away, unblock me and video me...it will only get worse if u don't," the U.S. Attorney's Office alleges.

The federal cyberstalking charge filed against Williams carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release.

"The indictment alleges a disturbing campaign of revenge, harassment and intimidation," Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said.

Joshua Flowers, special agent in charge of the NCIS Southwest Field Office, said "NCIS takes seriously any instances of cyberstalking, harassment, or intimidation against or by any Department of the Navy service member."

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.