Man Sentenced to 1 Year for Stalking, Harassing Norfolk Woman Through Facebook

NORFOLK, Va. – Sean Michael Conroy, 30, was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 12 months in jail for misdemeanor stalking and using a computer to harass a woman after he was found guilty of creating a fraudulent Facebook account to smear the victim.

The victim was acquainted with Mr. Conroy from previously living with his family more than a decade ago, and the two have had little contact in the time since the victim moved. In August 2023, the victim became aware of a fraudulent Facebook account bearing her name and profile picture. The account posted personal information, degrading comments, and indecent solicitations involving the victim. This resulted in the victim receiving unwanted online and offline contact from strange men and fearing for her safety. In September, the victim reported the page to Norfolk Police and suggested, based on some of the personal content posted, that Mr. Conroy may have been responsible for the page.

A Special Crimes Unit detective secured a search warrant for the fraudulent Facebook page and found Mr. Conroy’s phone number to be associated with the account. Mr. Conroy had also identified himself as the person responsible for the page in a string of direct messages between himself and another individual associated with the victim that were retrieved from the account. The victim secured warrants for Mr. Conroy’s arrest from a Norfolk Magistrate in November, and Norfolk Police officers arrested Mr. Conroy in the days following.

In January, Mr. Conroy was found guilty in Norfolk General District Court of misdemeanor stalking and using a computer for harassment. Mr. Conroy appealed his convictions, and on Tuesday, following a bench trial in Norfolk Circuit Court, Judge Everett A. Martin Jr. found Mr. Conroy guilty as charged of the two offenses. Judge Martin sentenced Mr. Conroy to 12 months in jail, with another 12 months suspended on the conditions that Mr. Conroy be of uniform good behavior for one year, have no contact with the victim and her family, and delete the Facebook page.

“Mr. Conroy engaged in dangerous and inappropriate offenses against the victim here, and while the crimes were misdemeanors, they are more serious than some felonies,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “We have held Mr. Conroy accountable for what he has done, and his punishment fits his crime.

“I remind our citizens that Virginia prosecutors receive no state funding to staff any misdemeanor cases. While we are fortunate that through grants and city support we are able to staff cases like these, not all localities are so fortunate. We must all advocate for a change to Virginia law that would guarantee funding for prosecutors on misdemeanor cases and therefore guarantee that all victims in Virginia have a prosecutor at their side when they need them most.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney James S. Strickland prosecuted Mr. Conroy’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Jason E. Myers led the investigation.

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