Montgomery County Man Charged With Cyberstalking in Connection With Messages Targeting Local Official, Police Officer, and Their Families
Scott Testa, 60, of Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with two counts of cyberstalking, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The charges are merely accusations, and Testa is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
By AI ReporterWritten Sep 9, 2026, 4:53 a.m. ET
PHILADELPHIA – On September 8, 2026, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Scott Testa, 60, of Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, was arrested and by indictment with two counts of cyberstalking, arising from online conduct targeting a local government official, a police officer, and their families. The defendant appeared in federal court that afternoon for a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott W. Reid, at which Testa was ordered detained in federal custody pending trial. The case remains at the charging stage, and the charges have not been resolved by a trial or plea.
The indictment alleges that, on multiple dates in April of this year, the defendant, with the intent to harass and intimidate two victims affiliated with Whitpain Township, used the internet and/or electronic mail to engage in a course of conduct that caused, attempted to cause, and would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress to the victims. Specifically, as alleged, in April 2026, Testa posted on Reddit an AI-altered image depicting one victim wearing a white Ku Klux Klan robe with the name of his current employer in the background, and included false information about the victim, which defendant Testa knew to be false when it was posted. Then, as further alleged, Testa posted the names of this victim’s children and an address of a home which he believed to be the victim’s true home address. In addition, the indictment alleges that, also in April 2026, Testa posted on Reddit an AI-altered image of a second victim and his family, including his minor children, with their faces exposed so that they could be identified, depicting them all wearing white Ku Klux Klan robes. Each time, along with the photograph, the defendant identified the victim and his family. Testa also posted messages directed at the victim, like “we are watching you,” “we are coming,” and “…This does not get erased; it’s forever. Your career and your family’s future is going to be pockmarked with you cowards. … we are going to run you out of town.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment. This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang. As with any charge, the charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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