A man from Britain was found guilty of stalking a social media influencer, according to the BBC. Not only did he follow the American travel influencer to Bali, but he had plans to kidnap her.
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39-year-old Rob Keating has been convicted of two counts of stalking. The man from Horsham followed influencer Alexandra Saper to Bali, packing rope in his suitcase, per the Daily Mail.
Stalker Of Travel Influencer Arrested After Taunting Kidnapping Plans
Keating sent repeated messages to Saper that were “constant and so concerning in nature the woman blocked him.” He allegedly shared his sexual fantasies with her and his obsession with wanting to abduct her.
This fascination began in June 2022 and had snowballed into an unhealthy obsession. Even after she blocked him, he would make secret accounts to follow her Instagram posts and taunt her.
Not only that, but Keating began to send “hundreds of emails and 30 videos.” By December 2022, the stalker sent an email threatening to kidnap and sexually assault her. He went so far as to threaten to travel to her home in Bali, showing evidence of his flight tickets.
A friend of the influencer told her they saw Keating near her residence, so she quickly fled the country. Luckily, the police arrested Keating at Gatwick Airport in March 2023. This was after he had contacted Saper a second time with proof of his next flights to Bali.
He ended up traveling to Bali again in February 2023. Keating posted a photo of the plane he was boarding, writing the caption, “let the games begin.” The stalker also warned Saper to get “kidnap insurance.”
Saper, known as ‘thewayfaress’ on Instagram, has amassed over 100,000 followers. She’s a “recovering lawyer” who is now sharing her experiences travelling the globe.
Keating’s only defense was that his threats were only “playful ridiculousness.” He also claimed that his stalking had “no adverse effect” on Saper. You can imagine just how much distress these messages and videos caused the influencer.
The stalker’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 25 at Portsmouth Crown Court. It took no time at all for the court to find him guilty. Judge Michael Bowes KC said that a prison sentence for Keating was “inevitable.”