A woman accused of using online classified ads to encourage men to sexually assault a pregnant wife in Anaheim by posing as the victim and claiming to want to indulge in rape fantasies made her initial court appearance Monday on felony charges.
Michelle Suzanne Hadley, 29, of Ontario, was ordered held on $1 million bail pending her arraignment, which was rescheduled to Aug. 19.
Hadley dated the victim’s husband, who is a U.S. Marshals Service agent, prior to his marriage, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The defendant is accused of sending multiple threats against the victim and her unborn child via email between June 6 and July 13, according to prosecutors. She allegedly sent the emails through various computers and servers to evade detection by investigators, prosecutors said.
Hadley was served a protective order June 6 banning her from contacting the woman, prosecutors said. The defendant, however, continued “stalking” the victim, prosecutors allege.
Hadley allegedly posed as the victim on Craigslist and responded to ads declaring that she wanted to engage in rape fantasies. Several people who responded to the ad showed up at the victim’s home, prosecutors said.
One respondent allegedly attacked the victim before she was able to summon help and chase the man off, prosecutors said.
Anaheim police arrested Hadley on June 24 and she was released on $100,000 bail, but she allegedly continued sending threatening emails to the victim and responding to the “rape fantasy” ads on Craigslist, prosecutors said.
Hadley is charged with one count each of stalking, stalking despite a restraining order, assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense during a first-degree burglary and making criminal threats, and six counts of attempted forcible rape, all felonies.
She also faces a misdemeanor count of violating a protective order, as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing a crime while out on bail, according to prosecutors, and could face a life prison term if convicted.
–City News Service