Priest Guilty of Stalking Conan O’Brien

Posted on April 11, 2008
Filed Under Assault, Celebrities, Criminal Law, Felonies, Laws |

A Roman Catholic priest accused of stalking Conan O’Brien apologized during his New York court hearing during which he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. The Rev. David Ajemian of the Archdiocese of Boston was arrested last November at NBC’s New York City studios during a taping of O’Brien’s late night television show. In court, Ajemian admitted to sending countless letters, postcards, DVDs and packages to both O’Brien’s home and the NBC studio.

Ajemian made repeated attempts to contact O’Brien over a 14-month period beginning in September 2005. He was accused of sending threatening notes to O’Brien on parish letterhead, sometimes signing them “your priest stalker.” In court, he said he never meant to upset anyone. But victims are hurt and frightened by stalkers. Their sense of personal safety is shattered. They may fear not only for their own safety, but that of their family, particularly their children.

For first-time stalking offenders with no prior criminal history or aggravating factors, a stalking charge will often result in a misdemeanor, as it did for Ajemian. Misdemeanor stalkers can be sentenced to serve up to one year in county jail. Repeat stalking offenders generally face felony charges with sentences of up to five years in state prison.

In 1990, California initiated the first anti-stalking law following the murder of TV star Rebecca Schaffer and stabbing of Theresa Saldana by obsessed fans. Most states now have anti-stalking laws. In California, criminal stalking can take a number of forms:

  • Watch, follow, threaten, harass, loiter or vandalize
  • Assault (sexual, emotion and physical)
  • Repeated unwanted telephone or cell phone calls
  • Repeated mail, gifts or packages
  • Cyber stalking on the internet

Stalking is a crime and stalking charges should be considered a serious legal problem. Celebrity stalking represents a small fraction of California stalking cases, but celebrity stalkers tend to be more aggressive. More than 75% of California stalking cases involve men stalking women. Stalking is often the result of domestic violence. The Los Angeles Police Department has a specialized department devoted solely to stalking cases, the Stalking and Threat Assessment Team (STAT).

Written by LegalPro

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