Washington man accused of cyberstalking his ex-wife after PFA filed
This is an egregious case of cyberstalking: Authorities say 53-year-old Eric Scholl placed a GPS device underneath his ex-wife’s car, tracking her location for months. They say he also hacked into her phone, changing the linked email address to his own — and it doesn’t end there.
According to 53-year-old Eric Scholl’s ex-wife, the abuse began in March of 2021 when Scholl placed his hands on her neck.
“Individuals who may try and harm someone in person don’t often stop just because there’s a PFA, or ... even because they’re incarcerated,” said John Sancenito, a cyber security expert at INA-INC and former police officer.
And police say Scholl didn’t stop. After the PFA was filed, he turned to the internet, weaponizing her personal information.
Authorities say he hacked her cell phone, changed the linked email to his own, posted lewd sexual videos to Reddit as if it was her, and infiltrated her PayPal.
Officials say he committed many of these crimes while living in a halfway house in downtown Pittsburgh.
“Look at all of your online accounts and change the passwords immediately,” said Sancenito. “Look at your bank accounts and your online accounts. If someone wants to cause economic damage to us, they can order things through those accounts. They can also block you on those accounts so you no longer have access to them.”
Sancenito says financial abuse, public embarrassment, and intimidation keep many victims quiet. According to the criminal complaint, Scholl sent threatening emails, broke into her home, removed her firearm and camera, placed a GPS tracker on her car, and terrorized the woman for nearly 2 years.
“PFA is still a piece of paper in and of itself and is not going to protect you or put a barrier around you,” said Sancenito.
But legal experts say the order provides law enforcement with tools to immediately enforce penalties if the order is violated and offers a judge a log of infractions.
“The notice is important because a judge has found that there’s merit to the allegations. The notice tells the defendant you are not permitted to do the things that are complained of, and also you are not able to have any contact whatsoever,” said Phil DiLucente, with Phil DiLucente & Associates.
Scholl was indicted in federal court on a count of cyberstalking and is detained.
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