A Minnesota man was indicted on Tuesday by a federal grand jury for sending threatening emails to a Boston College student in 2016 after creating fake pornographic images of her, the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday.
Forty-six-year-old Eric Bolduan was indicted on one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure another person.
The indictment alleges that Bolduan first downloaded images of the student on social media and other publicly available sites, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“Bolduan then located a pornographic image of a different female with a similar appearance and posted the images of the victim alongside the pornographic image to various pornographic websites in order to make it appear that the victim was involved in pornography,” the release reads. “Thereafter, Bolduan allegedly sent threatening and harassing emails to the victim.”
Associate Vice President of University Communications Jack Dunn said in a statement to The Heights that the University is grateful for the indictment.
“We are grateful to the US Attorney’s Office for pursuing this indictment,” he wrote. “The victim and her family deserve justice in light of the pain they endured through the actions and threats of the accused. Any student who is ever a victim of such threats should immediately contact BC Police.”
The Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
Bolduan allegedly sent all of the emails from an account under a different name, and used a software called “The Onion Router” that directs internet traffic through thousands of relays in order to maintain the anonymity of its users, according to the indictment.
In one email from May 2016, Bolduan allegedly attached the forged photo of the victim and threatened to find her the following summer.
Bolduan also said in the email that the victim would “experience things that will give [her] nightmares for the rest of your life,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“By the time I’m done with you your body will be shattered and broken,” the email reads. “I promise that you’ll never be the same again.”
In 2019, Bolduan was charged with stalking and threatening college and high school students online and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. He also targeted athletes at the University of Colorado by faking pornographic images of them and sending threatening messages.
If charged, Bolduan’s sentence could include spending up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. He is currently at Englewood Federal Correctional Institution and will make an appearance in court in Boston at a later date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Featured Graphic by Eamon Laughlin / Heights Editor
