- A Rigby man was arrested for allegedly cyberstalking a Massachusetts professor.
- Edward John Kay sent over 80 harassing messages after dropping her course, according to a press release from Leah B. Foley, United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
- Kay faces a cyberstalking charge, which carries up to five years in prison.
RIGBY, Idaho — A 53-year-old Rigby man was arrested Thursday after an investigation into the cyberstalking of a Massachusetts professor.
Edward John Kay is charged with one count of cyberstalking. Kay was arrested Friday in Rigby and will make an initial appearance in the District of Idaho on July 25. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to a news release from Leah B. Foley, United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Kay met the victim in January, when he enrolled in her online course on psychosis, which she taught at a university's extension school.
"After one Zoom meeting with the victim and one virtual class session, Kay became fixated on the victim, dropped the course, and proceeded to harass and intimidate the victim over email and LinkedIn for the following five months," says the release.
Court documents say that between January and June, Kay sent the victim over 80 harassing communications via LinkedIn and email, including at least one anonymous email account.
In the messages, Kay allegedly expressed his "adoration and love for the victim and repeatedly mentioned the victim's minor child by name."
On April 1, Kay reportedly sent a LinkedIn message to the victim, stating, "I miss you — truly, deeply — with all of my heart and soul. That day I saw you on Zoom … you were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Not just appearance. Everything. Your presence. Your mind. Your light. To gain you … and then to lose you like that? It devastated me."
On May 9, Kay allegedly sent an email to several of the university's offices with the victim copied, stating, "Dr. (victim's last name) has been copied on all communications. She knows what is coming."
He added that this was only the "VERY BEGINNING" because "Every day, starting today, will mark a new action of serious consequence, taken by me in accordance with divine alignment and institutional justice."
On May 12, in an anonymous email sent to the victim from the email address (victim's name)consience@protonmail.com, Kay allegedly professed his love for her, encouraged her to leave the university, and said, "You are still free. But you are not unreachable."
Police say Kay told another university professor about his obsession with the victim and his desire to separate her from her husband.
Court documents say that on June 5, Kay emailed the victim and the university president, allegedly stating that he purchased a first-class nonrefundable plane ticket to attend an in-person negotiations class at the university this summer despite being banned from enrolling in the university's courses.
Airline records showed Kay had purchased a one-way flight to Boston Logan Airport, which was scheduled to land on the morning of July 11, but police say he did not board the flight.
Kay was arrested in Rigby and booked into the Bingham County Jail in Blackfoot.
According to the release, the cyberstalking charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Foley and Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement Friday.
"Valuable assistance was provided by FBI Salt Lake City and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case," according to the release.
