Crescent Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Cyberstalking Public School Teacher

OKLAHOMA CITY – TROY ALLEN MARTIN, 46, of Crescent, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for cyberstalking, announced Robert J. Troester, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

On October 3, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Martin on two counts of cyberstalking.  He pleaded guilty to one of those counts on November 28, 2017, before United States District Judge Stephen P. Friot.

According to court records, Martin met an Oklahoma public school teacher (who did not live in Crescent) through a dating website.  After a brief romantic relationship, he acquired nude photographs of her, which he used to extort money from her.  His texts included: "So how much is it worth not to send [the] pictures?"  The teacher responded: "Please don’t do this to me."  Martin wrote: "No u hurt me so now I want something for it."  The teacher asked Martin what he wanted, and he texted back: "Money."  At first, he demanded $100,000; he ultimately extorted $50,000 from her.  Martin threatened to send the nude pictures to the teacher’s school and family.  He also threatened to post them on YouTube and Facebook and to send them to her realtor and to otherwise thwart the sale of her home.

In addition to threatening to disseminate nude pictures of the teacher, Martin repeatedly harassed her through constant phone calls and text messages, sometimes using spoofed phone numbers.  He threatened repeatedly to call her family members during the night on an untraceable number.  He also threatened physical harm to her family through text messages, such as: "I will hire someone if u know what I mean[.]  I have money."

In a statement to the court, the teacher stated that her life began to be consumed by trying to placate Martin so he would not disseminate her nude photos and ruin her career and reputation.  She said she felt like his puppet and was "petrified."

On April 24, 2018, Judge Friot sentenced Martin to 33 months’ imprisonment.  At the sentencing hearing, the court took into consideration Martin’s having engaged in similar conduct with other women.  In adjudging his sentence, Judge Friot stated society must know that this type of criminal behavior can result in imprisonment. 

In addition to the 33-month sentence, Judge Friot ordered Martin to pay $50,000 in restitution to the victim, to pay a $5,000 fine, and to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.

Reference is made to public filings for further information.