Breaking News:

Serial cyberstalker who threatened women gets prison term

May 23, 2019, 8:08 PM | Updated: Dec 30, 2022, 11:28 am

Christopher W. Cleary, makes a court appearance during his sentencing Thursday, May 23, 2019, in Pr...

Christopher W. Cleary, makes a court appearance during his sentencing Thursday, May 23, 2019, in Provo, Utah. Cleary, a man who posted a Facebook message threatening to kill "as many girls as I see" in retaliation for years of romantic rejection has been sentenced to up to five years in prison in Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)

By BRADY McCOMBS Associated Press

PROVO, Utah (AP) — A man who posted a Facebook message threatening to kill “as many girls as I see” in retaliation for years of romantic rejection was sentenced Thursday to up to five years in prison.
Judge Christine Johnson’s decision to keep Christopher W. Cleary, 27, of Denver, behind bars in Utah went against a recommendation from Cleary’s attorney and prosecutors to sentence him to probation so he could be returned to Colorado to serve prison time there for probation violations.

Johnson said the incident clearly warranted prison time and that she didn’t feel comfortable relying on Colorado to keep Cleary locked up. She said Utah’s board of pardons can decide if Cleary should be transferred to Colorado.

Cleary’s Facebook threat came hours before women marched through many U.S. cities in January, stoking fears of another deadly rampage by a man blaming women for his problems. Cleary called himself a virgin who never had a girlfriend. When police tracked his cellphone and arrested him at a McDonald’s restaurant in Provo, Utah, Cleary said he had been upset and wasn’t thinking clearly.
Cleary spoke only briefly at the sentencing, saying quietly, “I’m just sorry for what happened.”

His actions fit a pattern of behavior for a troubled man with a history of terrorizing women he met over the internet. At least eight people since 2012 have contacted authorities to accuse Cleary of stalking or harassing them, according to an Associated Press review of police and court records.

His attorney, Dustin Parmley, said Cleary was ashamed of his actions and has long had issues controlling his impulses to say inappropriate things. He said Cleary had a troubled childhood and was diagnosed with mental health issues at age 10, though he didn’t elaborate. Parmley said Cleary bounced between group homes and mental health hospitals during his childhood.

Parmley said police did the right thing in taking the threat seriously but noted Cleary has never followed through on his threats with physical violence.

“The threats were made in very vague and nonspecific terms,” Parmley said.

Cleary pleaded guilty in April to a reduced charge of attempted threat of terrorism, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend probation, which would have spared him any additional jail time in Utah beyond the months he’s served since his Jan. 19 arrest.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Douglas Finch called Cleary a “disturbing young man” but said he was fine with the agreement because Colorado prosecutors indicated they would make sure Cleary would serve prison time in that state.

Cleary was still on probation in Jefferson County, Colorado, when he was arrested in Utah. Pam Russell, a spokeswoman for the county prosecutor’s office, said earlier this week that prosecutors would seek to revoke his probation and request a “significant” prison sentence in Colorado after the Utah case was concluded. He could face up to 17 years in prison in Colorado for three stalking cases, Russell said.

“We want to have him returned to Colorado as quickly as possible,” Russell said Thursday.

Among the complaints against Cleary in Colorado were reports that he threatened to bomb a grocery store in 2013 after an employee refused to cash his check; that he threatened to slit the throat of a Denver city employee after his car was towed; and that he threatened a mass shooting at a mental health facility during a 2016 phone call.

Cleary was on probation for a marijuana conviction when, in 2016, he was charged with stalking two 18-year-old women he met online. He was on probation and in mental health court for the stalking cases when he was charged in 2017 with stalking and harassing a third woman who was Cleary’s caseworker. Last year, judges in Jefferson County, Colorado, sentenced him to probation in all three stalking cases.

Cleary also has a warrant for his arrest in Denver, where a 17-year-old told police in 2015 that he sent her a string of threatening text messages, including: “I own multiple guns I can have u dead in a second.”
____
Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland, Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia, and Colleen Slevin in Denver contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Protesters rally outside the Ogden Municipal Building on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025....

DARBY SPARKS, KSL TV

Anti-Trump protestors speak in small Ogden rally Saturday

At the Ogden Municipal Building downtown, a little over 50 people gathered to protest the current Trump Administration on the building’s front steps.

5 hours ago

FILE — The logo of the Utah Highway Patrol. A wrong-way driver crashed into oncoming traffic on S...

Carlysle Price

Wrong-way driver reaches high speeds on I-15, hospitalizes 3

Three people have been hospitalized after a wrong-way driver crashed into oncoming traffic on I-15.

6 hours ago

Nutritious food...

Michelle Lee

Nutritious food is good for your mood

Let’s Get Moving Host Maria Shilaos spoke with Gabriela Murza with USU's HEART Initiative to learn how nutritious food can improve our mental health.

7 hours ago

Utah lawmakers are considering a measure to boost funds for schools to help them deal with students...

Tim Vandenack, KSL.com

Utah bill promises more funding for schools teaching English as a second language

As Utah lawmakers weigh whether to allocate more money to help Utah schools contend with increasing numbers of English-language learners, state data shows 13 districts and a charter school would potentially qualify for the funding.

17 hours ago

Layton City Fire Department warns the public about slippery roads on Saturday....

Kennedy Camarena

Car accidents pile up over the weekend

The snowy weather on Presidents' Day Weekend has led to numerous accidents across Utah.

19 hours ago

Three years since it was completed, Amazon is reportedly going to start package delivery operations...

Tim Vandenack, KSL.com

Amazon may start distribution operations at Marriott-Slaterville facility this year

A vacant 3-year-old facility meant to be an Amazon distribution center is in the process of getting upgrades so it can finally enter into operation.

21 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

Serial cyberstalker who threatened women gets prison term