Northeast Iowa man sentenced to 10 years for cyberstalking woman

CEDAR RAPIDS — A federal judge sentenced a Cresco man to 10 years in prison last week for cyberstalking a Minnesota woman for two years, which the judge noted as “a form of mental torture and public terrorism.”

Michael Shawn McGuire, 58, pleaded to four counts of cyberstalking in December.

Evidence from the sentencing and plea hearings showed that in fall 2017, the woman met McGuire through an online dating website. They dated for about seven months before she broke up with him. At that point, McGuire started sending her harassing text messages and emails.

In summer 2018, the woman obtained a no-contact order to stop McGuire from contacting her or anyone in her family. McGuire continued to harass and torment her over the next two years or so, according to prosecutors.

During that time, McGuire created five fake Facebook profiles. The profiles contained the woman’s name or photo and sexually explicit messages about her. The fake profiles sent over 80 friend requests to the woman’s friends and family.

McGuire also made dozens of flyers and yard signs, which contained sexually explicit messages, photographs of the woman and sexually explicit photos of other women appearing to be his ex-girlfriend. The flyers and yard signs contained the woman’s name, phone number and address.

The flyers were delivered to dozens of people, including the woman’s children, extended family members, neighbors, friends, her employer, a priest, and businesses she associated with, according to court documents.

The yard signs were left in multiple places in the town where the woman lived, including her employer’s parking lot, a church lawn and a popular restaurant, court documents stated.

On one occasion, McGuire spray-painted a sexually explicit message including the woman’s name on a business front in her hometown. On another occasion, McGuire texted the woman that she should call the police because he was violating his restraining order, then proceeded to follow her around town in his car.

McGuire was arrested for that incident and spent a few days in a county jail.

In fall 2019, investigators searched McGuire’s place of business in Cresco and found multiple items, including photos of the woman, her family and friends, her Facebook friends list, supplies used to make the flyers and yard signs, rubber gloves and rope.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams, during his sentencing, pointed out that McGuire was undeterred by his arrest and continued to stalk and harass the woman for several months afterward. Williams described McGuire’s behavior toward the woman and her friends and family as “a form of mental torture” and “form of public terrorism in a way.”

McGuire was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. He must pay a $15,000 fine and $17,500 in restitution to the woman.

“He will spend the next decade in federal prison, protecting both his victim and the public from his malicious behavior,” Acting U.S. Attorney Sean Berry said in a statement after sentencing. “This sentence sends a strong message to all that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Corkery, Kyndra Lundquist and Lisa Williams. It was investigated by sheriff’s offices in Kandiyohi and Pipestone counties and Willmar, Litchfield and Renville police departments in Minnesota; Kandiyohi County, Minn., Community Corrections; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; and the Cresco Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI.

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