Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett on Thursday issued a statement thanking the Capitol Police and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, after it was announced that a joint investigation had led to the indictment of two former employees of Ms. Plaskett in connection with the release of nude images of the congresswoman and a nude video of her husband.
Former aide Juan McCullum was charged with two counts of cyberstalking, while Dorene Browne-Louis was charged on two counts of obstruction of justice. The joint operation saw the U.S. Capitol Police investigating the matter, while it was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
The Consortium reported on the leak on July 21, 2016. Back then, Ms. Plaskett said, “The theft and distribution of these personal images via the internet marks a new low in Virgin Islands politics. I am shocked and deeply saddened that someone would stoop to such a level as to invade my marriage and the love of my family in an attempt to besmirch me politically.”
Both aides had worked for the delegate to Congress for over a year before leaving in mid-2016, according to the indictment. The indictment says that in March 2016, Ms. Plaskett asked Mr. McCullum to take her iPhone to an Apple store for repairs. While he had her phone, however, he created Hotmail and Facebook accounts under a fictitious name to distribute and post nude images of Ms. Plaskett and her husband. The indictment alleges that Mr. McCullum used the social media accounts to encourage others to spread the images and videos in the U.S. Virgin Islands, whose people Ms. Plaskett represents.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. McCullum alerted Ms. Browne-Louis to his actions, who later deleted Mr. McCullum’s text messages from her phone and gave “false, incomplete, and misleading statements” to law enforcement about her knowledge of Mr. McCullum’s actions.
Ms. Plaskett, in her release Thursday, praised law enforcement officials for their investigation.
“Last year, my privacy was invaded, which was followed by an organized smear campaign and defamatory press reports concerning both me and my family. I was informed today that preliminary arrests had been made of individuals who were involved in those illegal acts. I am deeply grateful to the Capitol Police and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for their thorough and in depth investigating the crimes committed against me, and those who I love. Aside from the arrests announced today, the investigation is ongoing, and because of that, we are not able to provide any other updates at this time.
“While we continue to be saddened by the damage we suffered as a result of those egregious acts, my family is also incredibly thankful to the people of the Virgin Islands, who have shown us tremendous care, sensitivity, and love throughout this ordeal. The most important thing to me is the well-being of my family, and I will always be grateful to the residents, and families, of our territory for their support,” she said.
Ms. Browne-Louis will appear in court on July 19, while a date for Mr. McCullum’s appearance has yet to be scheduled.
Tags: delegate to congress stacey plaskett, virgin islands consortium
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