PENNSYLVANIA (BCDAO) – A Philadelphia man was sentenced on Monday, June 12, 2023, to serve four to nine years in state prison for repeatedly stalking an ex-girlfriend, posting intimate images of her on social media and sending those images to family and friends.
Damon Bernard McKie, 30, pleaded guilty in January to two felony counts of stalking and misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, unlawful dissemination of intimate images, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and harassment.
In addition to the state prison sentence, Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley also sentenced McKie to seven years of probation, ordered him to not have any contact with the victim, her family or their properties and prohibited him from using social media.
Prior to sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Brittney M. Kern said McKie is obsessed with the victim and if given the opportunity he will continue to harass and threaten her and her family, and he has demonstrated through his actions that his words should be taken seriously.
Calling his actions “despicable,” Finley said he was particularly concerned that even after McKie received a county sentence and was ordered to have no contact with the victim, he continued to terrorize her, using his time incarcerated “stewing and plotting what you were going to do.”
“Why should I believe you’ll follow any conditions of sentence based on your pattern and behavior,” he said.
This investigation by the Warrington Township Police Department found that McKie had been stalking the victim since late 2019.
In November of that year, he pleaded guilty in Philadelphia on charges of burglary and strangulation against the victim and was sentenced to almost a year in county jail, eight years of probation and was ordered not to have any contact with her.
In March 2022, prior to McKie being released from incarceration, the victim obtained her third Protection from Abuse (PFA) order against him and listed other members of her family to be protected in the order, including her mother.
The next month, the victim met with Warrington Township Police and reported that McKie is continuing to stalk her. She showed police several text messages and social media messages from 2019 to April 2022 that caused her to be afraid for both her own safety and the safety of her family.
The investigation found that McKie created numerous fake names and fake account profiles to share the victim and the victim’s mother’s personal information, names, and photographs. On the fake profiles, McKie posted the addresses of the victim and her mother with invitations for men to show up for sexual encounters.
McKie also sent photos and screenshots of the victim, naked or engaged in sexual conduct, to the victim, her mother and other family members, and friends. Police also observed several threatening messages sent by McKie on various social media platforms and text message against the victim and members of her family. The messages go as far back as 2019 and continued into April 2022.
On April 5, 2022, police contacted McKie and told him to have no further contact with the victim or he would be violating the PFA order. Despite being ordered to cease, McKie continued to text the victim.
The case was investigated by the Warrington Township Police Detective Bernard Schaffer and was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Brittney M. Kern.
News by Breaking911
