FRESNO – A federal grand jury last week returned a one-count indictment against 49-year-old Ceres resident Kevin James Strutz, charging him with cyberstalking.

According to U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and court documents, Strutz secretly made a video recording of a nude female guest who rented a room at his mother’s house on Soda Canyon Drive in Ceres which is made available for rentals through Airbnb. Strutz was living with his mother at the time of the alleged crime and admitted to authorities that he hid the phone in the bathroom to record images of her. He also sent her intimidating and threatening messages over a months’ long span.

The victim – who was a traveling healthcare worker – promptly ended her stay when she discovered a message on a cellphone that Strutz had inadvertently left in a shared bathroom. Airbnb was notified of the crime and broke off ties with the homeowner. Over the next several months, Strutz continued to contact the victim through Facebook accounts, one of which used a false identity. The messages became increasingly aggressive and one included an image of the victim exiting a shower that had been taken without her knowledge or consent at the Airbnb home. Strutz sent the image to her with the threat that if she didn’t send him a sexually explicit video that he would send the nude photo of her to her friends and family.

When the FBI served a search warrant on Nov. 12 to enter the house, Strutz answered the door but then barricaded himself for hours, hiding in the attic.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Ceres Police Department. 

The prosecutor in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa, said that if convicted, Strutz faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Strutz has a criminal history that includes stalking, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and violating a domestic restraining order.

Law enforcement investigators believe that Strutz may have victimized more than the woman. Anyone with additional information or who believes that they might be a victim can contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

A federal grand jury last week returned a one-count indictment against 49-year-old Ceres resident Kevin James Strutz, charging him with cyberstalking.

According to U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and court documents, Strutz secretly made a video recording of a nude female guest who rented a room at his mother’s house on Soda Canyon Drive in Ceres which is made available for rentals through Airbnb. Strutz was living with his mother at the time of the alleged crime and admitted to authorities that he hid the phone in the bathroom to record images of her. He also sent her intimidating and threatening messages over a months’ long span.

The victim – who was a traveling healthcare worker – promptly ended her stay when she discovered a message on a cellphone that Strutz had inadvertently left in a shared bathroom. Airbnb was notified of the crime and broke off ties with the homeowner. Over the next several months, Strutz continued to contact the victim through Facebook accounts, one of which used a false identity. The messages became increasingly aggressive and one included an image of the victim exiting a shower that had been taken without her knowledge or consent at the Airbnb home. Strutz sent the image to her with the threat that if she didn’t send him a sexually explicit video that he would send the nude photo of her to her friends and family.

When the FBI served a search warrant on Nov. 12 to enter the house, Strutz answered the door but then barricaded himself for hours, hiding in the attic.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Ceres Police Department.

Ben Breit, a spokesperson for Airbnb, released the following statement to the Courier: “We have no tolerance for the reported behavior and worked quickly to support the survivor once she brought it to our attention, including banning the associated host accounts from our platform at the time. We assisted the FBI in their investigation and hope justice is appropriately served.”

The prosecutor in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa, said that if convicted, Strutz faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Strutz has a criminal history that includes stalking, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and violating a domestic restraining order.

Law enforcement investigators believe that Strutz may have victimized more than the woman. Anyone with additional information or who believes that they might be a victim can contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.