Pasadena Man to Plead Guilty to Cyberstalking

A Pasadena man is expected to plead guilty Wednesday to federal charges of using the internet to stalk and threaten to injure, rape or kill women who refused to date him.

Sam Hughes, 31, faces a total maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on the felony charges of stalking, witness tampering and making threats by interstate communication, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Hughes’ plea agreement states that the United Kingdom citizen will be deported from the United States as a result of his convictions.

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles handed down a 26-count indictment in August charging Hughes with multiple counts of stalking, making online threats, mailing threatening communications, and witness tampering.

The self-described information technology worker and astronomer — sometimes using his real name, and other times using aliases or social media accounts — sent his victims communications in which he expressed hope they would die or in which he made specific threats to harm them, according to the indictment.

For example, a year ago, after one victim reported prior threats to law enforcement authorities, Hughes allegedly sent the victim an email stating in part that someone “will come out and first bash you head in, rape you slash your throat and burn your car and house,” according to court papers.

Hughes allegedly sent another threat that read in part: “I will rip your … throat out and stab you in the eyes and put gasoline over your half mutilated body.”

Federal prosecutors contend the defendant used nearly 10 online aliases and handles.

The FBI began investigating him in May 2019 after a victim filed a complaint with the Internet Crimes Complaint Center.

“The threatening communications sent by Hughes to the victims were direct, graphic, and disturbing in nature, including statements such as: `I am coming to get you, I will enjoy every moment of killing you’ and `I can guarantee you will die soon at my mercy,”‘ prosecutors allege in court documents.

After being contacted by both the FBI and state law enforcement officers, “Hughes continued to send electronic communications and letters threatening to injure, rape or kill at least three of the victims who had reported his threats to the police,” according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

“In his communications to some victims, Hughes threatened that contacting the police would lead to the injury or death of the victim or the victims’ loved ones,” the complaint alleges.

As a result of separate investigations, Hughes was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Pasadena Police Department on two occasions in June, which resulted in charges being filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Pasadena City Attorney’s Office.

Hughes posted an eight-minute video of one of his contacts with Pasadena police on YouTube last year.

Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Hughes on July 10, and he was taken into custody from state authorities two weeks later. Hughes has been in federal custody since that time.

The stalking count and the charges stemming from the alleged threats both carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in federal prison. The witness tampering count carries a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison.