Chillicothe Police arrest a citizen of Scotland following an investigation into the online harassment and stalking of a local child and their family.
A news release from Chillicothe police encourages parents and guardians to stay engaged in their children's online activity and to report suspicious or threatening online contact.
The reminder follows this month's arrest of a man who traveled from Scotland to Chillicothe and appeared at the family home uninvited.
The man is charged with pressuring a child whose age and gender were not released to spend specific amounts of time each day online communicating and playing games.
After the victim's parents notified police in late 2024, detectives documented a sustained pattern of harassing, bullying, and threatening communications directed at the family.
Those threats included physical harm and distributing previously coerced explicit images.
Chillicothe investigators note that a separate investigation into additional allegations remains ongoing.
News release from Chillicothe Police:
The Chillicothe Police Department has arrested a white male foreign national, a citizen of the United Kingdom residing in Edinburgh, Scotland, in connection with an investigation into the online harassment and stalking of a local juvenile and their family.
The investigation began after a parent reported that their child had been harassed and controlled online since late 2024 by an individual the child had met through an online gaming platform. According to investigators, the child was pressured to spend specific amounts of time each day communicating and gaming with the suspect and was afraid to cut off contact due to threats to distribute previously coerced explicit images. Detectives documented a sustained pattern of harassing, bullying, and threatening communications directed at the family across multiple platforms, including messages threatening physical harm.
The family reported that the harassment continued through group chats and repeated calls and messages, and that threatening communications persisted even after the suspect was asked to stop communicating with the victims.
In July 2026, the matter escalated when the suspect traveled from Scotland to Chillicothe and appeared at the family's residence uninvited. He was located nearby by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office and was formally trespassed from the property. Investigators allege he was observed in the immediate vicinity of the home again later that same evening.
The suspect was subsequently taken into custody. A Statement of Probable Cause has been submitted to the Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office seeking charges related to harassment and stalking. Because the suspect is a foreign national with no local ties and demonstrated a willingness to travel internationally, investigators sought a warrant rather than a summons to ensure his appearance in court.
The Chillicothe Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Investigators note that a separate investigation into additional allegations remains ongoing, and no further details about that investigation will be released at this time.
The Department encourages parents and guardians to stay engaged in their children's online activity and to report suspicious or threatening online contact.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.