A Georgia woman was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison Friday after executing an elaborate cyberstalking scheme that targeted couples trying to adopt. Gabryele “Gabby” Watson, 29, received the sentence on four counts of cyberstalking, two counts of interstate transmission of threats to kidnap or injure, and two counts of unlawful use of a means of identification.
The sentence was announced by Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Following her prison term, Watson will spend three years on supervised release.
Court details show that between May and June 2023, Watson targeted a married couple in Middle Tennessee who had spent eight years trying to adopt a child. Watson stole the identity of a real, pregnant 16-year-old from Pennsylvania, gathering personal details, “baby bump” photos, and sonograms from the teenager’s social media accounts.
READ: California Guard Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Meth To Inmates In Painted Peanut Butter Jar
Posing as the teenager, Watson contacted the hopeful parents online, through spoofed text messages, calls, and emails. She convinced the couple they were going to adopt the baby, leading them to buy baby gear and maternity clothes.
Over several months, Watson became verbally abusive, demanded round-the-clock availability, claimed the baby suffered from medical emergencies, and feigned her own disappearance. She eventually threatened to abort the baby, commit suicide, and kill the couple.
“This defendant, for her own selfish and evil reasons, preyed on the hopes and dreams of a young couple who simply wanted to be parents,” U.S. Attorney Boucek said. “This kind of fraud is devastating to those it affects, it cannot be tolerated, and today’s punishment shows that we will hold those who commit it accountable for their actions.”
Investigating officers found that Watson used the exact same tactics against a second married couple in Middle Tennessee. In that instance, she posed as a pregnant 18-year-old from Arkansas carrying high-risk twins. Watson spoke with the couple’s young sons to get them excited about the adoption before escalating to verbal abuse and threatening to kill the parents and their children.
“Gabryele Watson’s deliberate actions instilled fear in caring people who longed to adopt a child,” said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Cyberstalking not only causes panic and anxiety but also leaves victims feeling constantly unsafe and vulnerable. The FBI prioritizes cases involving threats of violence and will always investigate and bring to justice those who use digital platforms to threaten others.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Nashville Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case, alongside the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
