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Liberty

Stalking and extortion warning about a former student arrested and banned from campus

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Under Investigation

On August 27, 2024, Liberty University Police Department issued case 24-019836, a stalking and extortion timely warning involving a former male student who used multiple social-media platforms and pseudonyms to threaten students into providing sexually explicit content. The suspect was arrested on August 15, 2024 and released on bond, banned from campus but still in possession of his mobile device.

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Institution
Liberty University
Private R2 · VA
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~15,000 studentsLU Alert
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim1873 chars
LU Timely Warning (24-019836) Stalking This alert is being sent in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act, as this incident represents a Clery Act crime that occurred on Clery Act geography and poses a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. Liberty University recently became aware of multiple stalking and extortion incidents occurring on and off Liberty’s campus by a former male student. Suspect reaches out on multiple social media platforms, going by different names, and threatens his recipients in order to extort them for sexually explicit content. The suspect was arrested on 08/15/24, but has since been released on bond. Please be advised that the suspect has been banned from campus and is prohibited from returning, although he still has access to his mobile device. This is an ongoing investigation. If you or someone you know has received similar messages, please reach out to LUPD immediately. If you are in immediate danger, call Liberty University Police Department at 434-592-3911 or call 911. To prevent stalking, we must cultivate healthy relationship behaviors including trust, respect, communication, and consent. This means respecting others boundaries and changing our behavior wher they indiate that contact or communication is unwelcome or uncomfortable. For more information about stalking please see Liberty University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy at: https://libertyedu.public.na2.doctract.com/doctract/documentportal/08DC692F33B9227E70CCCB1A5568E829 If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking, there are confidential and non-confidential resources available to you both on and off campus. For information on support resources, services, and programs at Liberty University, please see the Office of Equity and Compliance’s website found here or the Liberty University’s Office of Security & Public Safety found here.
Verify this quote
LU Timely Warning (24-019836) Stalking - Liberty Security & Public Safetyliberty.edufind archived copies
Official LU Timely Warning full text recovered from liberty.edu (WP content). Source typos preserved: "wher they indiate".
The case combines stalking with sextortion, increasingly classified together by VAWA-2022 and University of Iowa policy as a single course of conduct
Suspect was a former student using social-media platforms and pseudonyms to threaten current students for sexually explicit content
Unusual transparency: warning identifies that the suspect was arrested, released on bond, and banned from campus, but retains his mobile device, which the warning explicitly flags as an ongoing risk
12-day gap between arrest (8/15) and warning (8/27) is notable: Clery requires 'timely' warnings; some advocates argue this is too long when continuing-threat conditions persist
Issued five months after Liberty's record $14M Clery fine, suggests continued scrutiny is reshaping LUPD's practice toward more transparent disclosure
VAWA timely warnings now routinely cover digital/online stalking, reflecting 2022 VAWA reauthorization's expanded definitions
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

LU Timely Warning (24-019836) Stalking This alert is being sent in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act, as this incident represents a Clery Act crime that occurred on Clery Act geography and poses a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. Liberty University recently became aware of multiple stalking and extortion incidents occurring on and off Liberty’s campus by a former male student. Suspect reaches out on multiple social media platforms, going by different names, and threatens his recipients in order to extort them for sexually explicit content. The suspect was arrested on 08/15/24, but has since been released on bond. Please be advised that the suspect has been banned from campus and is prohibited from returning, although he still has access to his mobile device. This is an ongoing investigation. If you or someone you know has received similar messages, please reach out to LUPD immediately. If you are in immediate danger, call Liberty University Police Department at 434-592-3911 or call 911. To prevent stalking, we must cultivate healthy relationship behaviors including trust, respect, communication, and consent. This means respecting others boundaries and changing our behavior wher they indiate that contact or communication is unwelcome or uncomfortable. For more information about stalking please see Liberty University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy at: https://libertyedu.public.na2.doctract.com/doctract/documentportal/08DC692F33B9227E70CCCB1A5568E829 If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking, there are confidential and non-confidential resources available to you both on and off campus. For information on support resources, services, and programs at Liberty University, please see the Office of Equity and Compliance’s website found here or the Liberty University’s Office of Security & Public Safety found here.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that 'Liberty University' and 'LUPD' clearly identify the issuing institution and police agency, signed 'LU Timely Warning.'

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Signed 'LU Timely Warning' referencing Liberty University.
    2. present: 'Liberty University' and 'LUPD' named
    3. present: Signed 'LU Timely Warning', Liberty University Police Department referenced.
    4. present: 'Liberty University' and 'LUPD' identified as issuer/agency.
    5. present: Liberty University and LUPD are named.
    6. present: Signed 'LU Timely Warning', names 'LUPD'.
    7. present: 'LU Timely Warning', 'Liberty University Police Department' identify sender.
    8. present: Names 'Liberty University' and 'LUPD' as the sender/authority.
    9. present: Branded 'LU Timely Warning' identifying Liberty University's alert system.
    10. present: 'Liberty University' and 'LUPD' named.
    11. present: Sent by Liberty University, references LUPD.
    12. present: 'Liberty University' identified as sending the Clery Act Timely Warning.
    13. present: 'Liberty University' named, 'LUPD' referenced.
    14. present: Issued by 'Liberty University Police Department (LUPD)', named explicitly.
    15. present: Identifies Liberty University and LUPD as issuer of this Clery timely warning.
    16. present: Branded 'LU Timely Warning' and cites 'Liberty University'.
    17. present: 'LU Timely Warning' and 'Liberty University Police Department' named.
    18. present: Identifies 'LU' (Liberty University) as issuer under Clery Act via 'LUPD'.
    19. present: Branded 'LU Timely Warning' with Liberty University named.
    20. present: 'Liberty University' and 'LUPD' identify issuing institution/police.
    21. present: Issued by 'Liberty University Police Department', signed 'LU Timely Warning'.
    22. present: Branded 'LU Timely Warning' and identifies 'Liberty University'
    23. present: Signed 'LU Timely Warning' from Liberty University.
    24. present: Branded 'LU Timely Warning' from 'Liberty University'.
    25. present: Issued as 'LU Timely Warning' by Liberty University.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that 'stalking and extortion incidents' names a specific offense type.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Names 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    2. present: 'stalking and extortion' named
    3. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    4. present: 'stalking and extortion' explicitly named.
    5. present: Names 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    6. present: Names 'Stalking' and 'extortion'.
    7. present: 'stalking and extortion incidents' names specific offense.
    8. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    9. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents.'
    10. present: 'Stalking' named explicitly.
    11. present: Names 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    12. present: Names 'stalking and extortion.'
    13. present: 'stalking and extortion incidents.'
    14. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    15. present: States 'stalking and extortion' specifically.
    16. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    17. present: 'stalking and extortion incidents' names the hazard.
    18. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    19. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    20. present: 'stalking and extortion' names specific offenses.
    21. present: Names 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    22. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'
    23. present: Describes 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    24. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
    25. present: States 'stalking and extortion incidents'.
  • Locationabsent10/25

    Final assessment

    A clear majority find only the vague phrase 'on and off Liberty's campus,' with no specific building, street, or site named, so location is judged absent despite a substantial minority crediting the general campus reference.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Says 'on and off Liberty's campus'.
    2. absent: only 'on and off Liberty's campus' given, no specific place
    3. absent: Only says 'on and off Liberty's campus', no specific place named.
    4. absent: Only 'on and off Liberty's campus' vaguely stated, no specific place.
    5. present: References 'on and off Liberty's campus'.
    6. absent: Only vaguely says 'on and off Liberty's campus' with no specific site.
    7. present: 'on and off Liberty's campus' given.
    8. absent: No specific location given, only 'on and off Liberty's campus' generally.
    9. absent: Only vaguely states 'on and off Liberty's campus', no specific place named.
    10. absent: No specific location given, only 'on and off Liberty's campus' generally.
    11. present: States incidents occurred 'on and off Liberty's campus'.
    12. absent: States 'on and off Liberty's campus' generically with no specific building or street.
    13. absent: 'on and off Liberty's campus' is generic, no specific place named.
    14. present: Refers to 'Liberty's campus'.
    15. present: States incidents occurred 'on and off Liberty's campus' generally, counted as campus reference.
    16. absent: Only vaguely 'on and off Liberty's campus', no specific place named.
    17. present: 'on and off Liberty's campus' names the location broadly.
    18. present: States 'on and off Liberty's campus', a campus-wide location reference.
    19. absent: States 'on and off Liberty's campus' generally without a specific place.
    20. present: 'on and off Liberty's campus' names location.
    21. present: States occurring 'on and off Liberty's campus'.
    22. absent: Only vague 'on and off Liberty's campus', no specific place named
    23. absent: No specific place named, only 'on and off Liberty's campus' generically.
    24. absent: Says 'on and off Liberty's campus' generally, no specific place named.
    25. absent: Only says 'on and off Liberty's campus' with no specific building or area.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that the message instructs recipients to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' or call 911 if in danger.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    2. present: 'please reach out to LUPD immediately', 'call 911'
    3. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    4. present: 'please reach out to LUPD immediately' and 'call 911' are instructions.
    5. present: Instructs to contact LUPD immediately if similar messages are received.
    6. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    7. present: 'please reach out to LUPD immediately' and 'call Liberty University Police Department...or call 911' are instructions.
    8. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    9. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    10. present: 'If you or someone you know has received similar messages, please reach out to LUPD immediately.'
    11. present: Instructs those with similar messages to reach out to LUPD immediately.
    12. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' or call 911 if in danger.
    13. present: 'please reach out to LUPD immediately.'
    14. present: Instructs to reach out to LUPD or call 911 if in immediate danger.
    15. present: Instructs to reach out to LUPD immediately if similar messages received.
    16. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    17. present: 'please reach out to LUPD immediately' and call 911 if in danger.
    18. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' or call 911 if in danger.
    19. present: Instructs to contact LUPD or call 911 if in immediate danger.
    20. present: 'please reach out to LUPD immediately' and 'call 911' give protective actions.
    21. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    22. present: Instructs 'If you or someone you know has received similar messages, please reach out to LUPD immediately'
    23. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    24. present: Instructs to 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
    25. present: Advises 'reach out to LUPD immediately' if similar messages received.
  • Timepresent13/25

    Final assessment

    A narrow majority credit the suspect's arrest date, 08/15/24, as a specific date reference, though a large minority note this only marks the arrest and not the timing of the underlying stalking incidents; the split is close.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Gives suspect arrest date 'on 08/15/24'.
    2. present: 'suspect was arrested on 08/15/24' gives a date
    3. absent: Gives suspect arrest date but no time/date of the stalking incidents themselves as recency marker for the reader; arrest date '08/15/24' does count.
    4. absent: No specific date/time of occurrence given, only arrest date.
    5. present: States the suspect 'was arrested on 08/15/24'.
    6. present: Gives 'arrested on 08/15/24'.
    7. present: 'The suspect was arrested on 08/15/24' provides a date.
    8. absent: No specific date/time of the incident, only arrest date given as context.
    9. absent: Only gives arrest date, not incident occurrence time.
    10. absent: No specific incident time given beyond arrest date reference.
    11. present: Gives suspect's arrest date of 08/15/24.
    12. present: Gives suspect arrest date 'on 08/15/24.'
    13. absent: No specific clock time; only arrest date '08/15/24' as background.
    14. present: Notes suspect 'was arrested on 08/15/24'.
    15. absent: No clock time; only arrest date '08/15/24' given, not the incident time itself.
    16. present: Gives arrest date 'suspect was arrested on 08/15/24'.
    17. absent: Arrest date given but no specific incident time; 'ongoing investigation' lacks a clock/date marker for the alert content itself.
    18. absent: Only gives arrest date '08/15/24', no time for the ongoing threat itself.
    19. absent: No specific incident clock time or date beyond arrest date 08/15/24.
    20. present: 'suspect was arrested on 08/15/24' gives specific date.
    21. present: Gives 'suspect was arrested on 08/15/24'.
    22. absent: Only gives arrest date '08/15/24', not timing of the incident itself
    23. present: States suspect 'was arrested on 08/15/24'.
    24. absent: Only gives arrest date '08/15/24', not the incident timing clearly as recency of the threat.
    25. present: Gives 'The suspect was arrested on 08/15/24'.
  • Impactabsent1/25

    Final assessment

    Nearly all reads agree no consequence or severity beyond describing the extortion scheme is stated; one outlier read differs but does not change the verdict.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No stated consequence beyond describing the crime.
    2. absent: no stated severity/consequence beyond describing the offenses
    3. absent: No stated potential harm or severity beyond describing extortion for content.
    4. absent: No stated potential harm or severity.
    5. absent: No stated potential harm beyond the offense description.
    6. absent: No stated severity or potential harm.
    7. absent: No stated potential harm or severity conveyed beyond describing extortion.
    8. absent: No explicit statement of danger to the broader community.
    9. absent: No stated potential physical harm or severity.
    10. absent: No stated potential harm/severity beyond describing the extortion scheme.
    11. absent: No stated consequence or severity to recipients.
    12. present: States he 'threatens his recipients in order to extort them,' conveying harm.
    13. absent: No stated potential harm beyond naming the offenses.
    14. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm beyond describing the offense.
    15. absent: No explicit statement of severity beyond describing the extortion scheme.
    16. absent: No explicit statement of harm or danger severity beyond describing the crime.
    17. absent: No stated consequence or severity beyond describing the offense.
    18. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm or severity beyond describing extortion.
    19. absent: No explicit statement of ongoing danger or severity beyond description of extortion.
    20. absent: No stated consequence or severity beyond describing the offense.
    21. absent: No explicit statement of severity or ongoing danger level.
    22. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm beyond describing the extortion
    23. absent: No stated potential harm beyond describing the extortion scheme.
    24. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm beyond describing extortion.
    25. absent: No stated potential physical harm beyond extortion description.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Liberty University, a private evangelical R2 institution in Lynchburg, Virginia, issued this stalking-extortion timely warning five months after the U.S. Department of Education fined the university $14 million for Clery Act violations. The case (24-019836) is significant for several reasons: it explicitly classifies sextortion as part of a stalking course-of-conduct, it discloses an unusual level of detail about the suspect (arrest date, bond status, campus ban, retained mobile device), and it reflects evolving VAWA practice in the wake of the 2022 reauthorization that expanded statutory coverage of online stalking. Per The Daily Iowan, 'sextortion' was newly classified as a stalking offense at major universities beginning in 2023; Liberty's August 2024 warning is among the early documented instances of this reclassification appearing in a Clery timely warning. The 12-day gap between the suspect's August 15 arrest and the August 27 warning has drawn attention from Clery-compliance observers, who note that 'timely' under the Clery Act requires expeditious notification when continuing-threat conditions persist.
Analysis

Key Findings

Sextortion is increasingly classified as a form of stalking course-of-conduct under VAWA; Liberty's August 2024 warning is an early documented example
Unusual transparency: the warning discloses the suspect's arrest date, bond release, campus ban, and retained mobile device, atypical specificity for stalking notices
12-day gap between the August 15 arrest and August 27 warning raises 'timely' compliance questions under the Clery Act
Issued five months after Liberty's record $14M Clery fine, likely reflects increased post-enforcement scrutiny shaping LUPD practice
Demonstrates campus stalking-extortion as a multi-platform, pseudonymous online crime, fundamentally a digital-era VAWA case
Outcome
Suspect arrested 8/15/24, released on bond, banned from campus but retained his mobile device. LUPD urged any students receiving similar messages to report immediately. Course-of-conduct spanned multiple platforms.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    LU Timely Warning (case 24-019836), Liberty University
    liberty.edu
    archived copy
  2. News
    Liberty University fined $14 million for Clery violations (Inside Higher Ed)
    insidehighered.com
    archived copy
  3. Student Paper
    New report shows spike in sexual assault reports on UI campus in 2023 (sextortion now classified as stalking), Daily Iowan
    dailyiowan.com
    archived copy
  4. News
    Liberty University Threatened with $37.5 Million Clery Fine (Campus Safety Magazine)
    campussafetymagazine.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Liberty University: Stalking and extortion warning about a former student arrested and banned from campus." Incident of August 15, 2024. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/liberty-university-stalking-extortion-2024-08-15/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
stalkingsextortionvawatimely-warningliberty-universityprivate-r2evangelicalvirginiaonline-stalkingformer-student-suspectUnder Investigation
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion