A North Bethesda, Maryland, man was sentenced in Virginia last week for cyberstalking people.
Joseph Bourabah, 27, harassed his victims from September 2021 to February 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said Monday. The Marylander was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison.
The attorney’s office didn’t say how many counts of cyberstalking he was charged with, nor did it name any of the people victimized by Bourabah. He stalked 31 victims, at least five of them living in eastern Virginia, according to Richmond ABC affiliate WRIC-TV.
“To date, more than 1,000 harassment incidents have occurred across the 31 victims,” FBI Special Agent Megan Beck told Norfolk CBS affiliate WTKR.
In September 2021, Bourabah created a fake account and spread pornographic content of one victim on Facebook along with false accusations.
Bourabah then sent the porn to friends and family of the victim and emailed the victim a link to a pornographic website where the stalker had uploaded the content, identifying the victim by name and former employer, the attorney’s office said.
Bourabah also harassed the mother of the first victim, posting pornography on her social media feed and, in February 2022, posting Craigslist links offering up her trampoline and pet ducks for free. Both the ducks and trampoline were subsequently taken.
In a Dec. 26, 2021, email, Bourabah told another victim, “I’m never going to stop. I’ll be trolling your children’s babysitter 10 years from now.”
Bourabah also used Craigslist to harass the second victim, uploading a picture of a car as available for free and trying to have it towed. In January 2023, Bourabah uploaded the picture and address of the second victim as part of an ad post.
This victim’s mother was also harassed, with Bourabah advertising a Halloween party, a New Year’s Eve party and an open house at her residence. Bourabah even ordered carpet cleaners, junk removers, tree cutters and towing at her address.
“For more than a year and a half, Joseph Bourabah forced his victims to live in a constant state of fear. … He went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that nowhere they turned was safe,” FBI Norfolk Special Agent in Charge Brian Dugan said in a statement posted on X.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.