Studies of cyberstalkers have highlighted that there are different types of cyberstalkers or motivations of cyberstalkers. Those who are revengeful stalkers or obsessed stalkers who had previously had a relationship with their victim or target often do not control themselves or stop themselves from their criminal and pathological conduct, despite orders of protection or even jail time. The Department of Justice issued a press release about a case in Texas that seems to be that type of case. Although not mentioned in their press release, the defendant had previously dated his victim, a flight attendant, beginning in 2002 and had taken nude photographs of her at the time with her consent. The EEOC sued United Airlines in 2008 for failing to take action against the pilot, despite his conduct creating a hostile work environment for the flight attendant. That suit settled last year. Uhlenbrock continued working for United until he was arrested by the FBI in 2015.
Despite civil litigation and criminal prosecution, the defendant has allegedly resumed his criminal cyberstalking.
In San Antonio today, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against 66-year-old Mark Joseph Uhlenbrock of Chesterfield, Missouri, for internet stalking yet again, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs.
On September 28, 2016, Uhlenbrock was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to an internet stalking charge. Uhlenbrock admitted that from January 2006 to August 2015, he caused substantial emotional distress by posting nude photographs of his victim on the internet without the victim’s consent and despite three Bexar County civil district court lawsuits.
After completing his prison term, court records reflect that in April 2019 a federal judge sentenced Uhlenbrock to six months imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release.
Today’s indictment charges Uhlenbrock with one count of internet stalking the same victim again. The indictment alleges that from May 2020 to September 2020, Uhlenbrock used the internet to cause substantial emotional distress to a person. The conduct in this indictment occurred while Uhlenbrock was still on supervised release for his first conviction of internet stalking.
Uhlenbrock has remained in federal custody since his arrest in Missouri on December 10, 2020, for allegedly violating conditions of his supervised release.
The FBI in San Antonio investigated this case with assistance from the FBI in St. Louis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas