U.S. MARINE IMPERSONATOR PLEADS GUILTY TO THREATENING 11 WOMEN ACROSS MID-ATLANTIC REGION

WASHINGTON – James M. Johnson, 29, of Roxboro, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking and making interstate threats. 

The guilty plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton in the Alexandria Division of the Eastern District of Virginia, and was announced by U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride for the Eastern District of Virginia and John Wagner, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Washington DC Field Office. 

At sentencing, scheduled for November 2, 2012, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment on each count. 

The statement of facts filed with Johnson’s plea agreement indicates that Johnson impersonated a U.S. Marine stationed at Quantico, Virginia on various online dating websites, through the use of a false name, false personal information, and photographs of a U.S. Marine.  Johnson, often using the screen name “Cuddleman,” used this assumed identity to establish contacts with at least 11 women across the mid-Atlantic region between July 2009 and October 2010.  Johnson attempted to coerce the women to send him nude or seductive photographs, or disrobe or engage in other sexual activity before an Internet camera.  When the women refused, Johnson threatened the women in various ways, including threats to sexually assault or kill the women, kill the women’s children, or post altered photographs of the women on pornographic Internet websites dedicated to bestiality.  In one instance, Johnson told a victim he would “slit [her] throat and send his friends to kill [her]” if she did not accede to his demands.  In another instance, Johnson spoke on the telephone with police who had been called to a victim’s house and threatened to “blow up” the victim’s house if the police did not leave.    

This case was investigated by NCIS.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay A. Kelly.