One arrested, one guilty in separate Massachusetts cyber stalking cases

BOSTON – A Florida man was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston with conducting an extensive cyberstalking campaign that targeted his former classmate, a 30-year-old Massachusetts woman.

Byron A. Cardozo, 34, residing in Jacksonville and Boca Raton, Fla., was indicted on one count of cyberstalking and one count of making interstate threats. Cardozo was detained following an initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida and will be transported to Boston at a later date.

According to the indictment, Cardozo engaged in an 18-month-long multi-faceted cyberstalking and threats campaign targeting the victim. He began in February 2017, shortly after the victim published an essay in an online magazine describing a one-time, traumatic sexual encounter she had with Cardozo (she used pseudonyms in the article) when she was approximately 13-years-old and he was approximately 17-years-old while they attended the same school in Florida.

Cardozo allegedly sent hundreds of online communications, many of which he posted in the “comments” section of the essay, accusing the victim of fabricating her claims about the coercive nature of the 2001 sexual encounter, provided graphic descriptions of his purported consensual sexual encounter with the victim, and described how he continued to masturbate to the victim’s photographs. It is further alleged that Cardozo made threats to injure the victim, and at other times, he also apologized to her for the traumatic sexual experience, asked for forgiveness, expressed his love for her, and made veiled threats to commit suicide “because of you.” Cardozo continued to harass and threaten the victim despite the fact that she had obtained a state court order in April 2017, forbidding him from communicating with her.

In a separate incident, a Plymouth man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to anonymously stalking three women by text message and social media, including one woman he stalked throughout the 14-months that they dated.

Joseph Kukstis, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of stalking by electronic means. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2018. Kukstis was arrested and charged in April 2018 and has been in custody since.

From August 2015 until February 2018, Kukstis targeted a woman he was dating, with an anonymous harassment campaign. Kukstis sent the victim hundreds of degrading text messages, many of which urged her to kill herself, and threatened that her harasser would come to her home. Kukstis also sent private, intimate pictures of the victim to her friends and acquaintances through a “spoofed” Instagram account he created in her name. In addition, Kukstis harassed men who he believed were romantically involved with the woman. Kukstis also attempted to obtain unauthorized access to the victim’s social media accounts. Kukstis also sent himself harassing messages that he then shared with the victim, purportedly as proof to her that he, too, was a victim of the stalking. In January 2018, Kukstis sent an e-mail from an account in his own name to the victim, saying: “it was me the entire time, I hate myself for it.”

In connection with his plea, Kukstis also admitted to cyberstalking four other girlfriends and acquaintances. These included a friend from elementary school who he attempted to drive apart from her then boyfriend. Kukstis also sent the victim anonymous text messages stating that she was fat, worthless, and that she should kill herself.

Kukstis also cyberstalked another woman with whom he was in a romantic relationship. In early 2013, Kukstis texted the victim and her friends from anonymous phone numbers, calling her names and harassing her. He also attempted to access the victim’s email and social media accounts. The victim obtained a civil restraining order against Kukstis in February 2013.

In 2014, Kukstis was in a romantic relationship with another woman who he texted posing as her childhood crush and solicited intimate pictures of her. When she complied, Kukstis (posing as the childhood crush) threatened to tell Kukstis about this “betrayal” if she didn’t confess herself. In November 2014, as a result of these and similar encounters, the victim ended her relationship with Kukstis and obtained a civil restraining against him. Kukstis repeatedly violated the restraining order by contacting and anonymously harassing the victim.

In November 2017, Kukstis began messaging with another woman via Instagram, Snapchat, and text message. Kukstis also began sending the victim anonymous text messages through Pinger, including messages in which he posed as the victim’s ex-boyfriend, against whom she had a civil restraining order. When the victim confronted Kukstis for impersonating her ex-boyfriend, Kukstis responded with text messages stating: “You’re fat this was funny you suck;” “Glad your day is ruined;” and “Kill yourself [Jane Doe C].” Kukstis also sent the victim pictures of a partially clothed acquaintance of one of the other victims.

The charges of stalking provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a U.S. district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.