A Georgia woman was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison on Friday for carrying out an elaborate cyberstalking scam aimed at couples trying to adopt. Gabryele “Gabby” Watson, 29, was sentenced for four charges of cyberstalking, two counts of interstate communication of threats to abduct or injure, and two counts of unlawful use of a means of identification.
The sentencing was announced by Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Watson will serve three years of supervised release after her prison sentence.
Court records show that between May and June 2023, Watson targeted a married couple in Middle Tennessee who had been seeking to adopt a child for eight years. Watson stole the identity of a genuine, pregnant 16-year-old from Pennsylvania, obtaining personal information, “baby bump” images, and sonograms from the teen’s social media sites.
Watson posed as the youngster and contacted the prospective parents online via forged text messages, phone calls, and emails. She persuaded the couple to adopt the baby, prompting them to purchase baby supplies and pregnant clothes.
Over the course of several months, Watson grew extremely abusive, demanded 24-hour availability, claimed the infant had medical crises, and pretended to disappear. She eventually threatened to terminate the pregnancy, commit herself, and murder the couple.
“This defendant, for her own selfish and evil reasons, preyed on the hopes and dreams of a young couple who simply wanted to be parents,” US Attorney Boucek said. “This kind of fraud is devastating to those it affects; it cannot be tolerated, and today’s punishment shows that we will hold those who commit it accountable for their actions.”
Investigators discovered that Watson employed the identical tactics on a second married couple in Middle Tennessee. In that case, she pretended to be an 18-year-old pregnant woman from Arkansas with high-risk twins. Watson spoke with the couple’s young sons to get them enthused about the adoption before resorting to verbal abuse and threatening to harm the parents and children.
“Gabryele Watson’s intentional actions instilled fear in caring people who wished to adopt a child,” stated Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Cyberstalking not only creates panic and anxiety, but it also makes victims feel constantly unsafe and vulnerable. “The FBI prioritizes cases containing threats of violence and will always investigate and prosecute anyone who utilizes digital media to endanger others.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Nashville Field Office oversaw the investigation. Monica R. Morrison, an Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuted the case with the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
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