BRADENTON -- A dispatcher with the Bradenton Police Department was fired about two months ago after charges that he was cyberstalking another dispatcher at the department.
Lt. James Racky, spokesman for the Bradenton Police Department, said Christopher Liotti was fired after an internal affairs investigation following reports that Liotti had been harrassing a dispatcher with text messages in April.
Bradenton police responded to the 5200 block of 36th Avenue Circle West on April 19 at about 7 a.m. The woman told officers that she had started receiving messages from an unknown number while she was at work at 2:34 a.m. that kept coming until 4:30 a.m.
At first, the woman said she thought someone was, "pranking her," but as the messages continued and she asked the person to stop several times she started getting scared.
She showed her phone to the officers, and various messages read: "Enjoy your 11 minute ride home," "you have plans with those pigs you work with," "grass is looking good," and "I'll see you when you get home from work." Messages also included selfies of the victim with the comment, "I love that face," and poem lyrics that referenced a stalker.
The woman was concerned because she said she had no idea who was sending the messages and that the person knew the name of her dog, her address and the fact that she had just planted new grass at her residence.
Liotti pled not guilty to the misdemeanor charge of stalking on Sept. 18.
The Bradenton Police Department was aware of the situation since they were the initial responders. The victim also filed a complaint against Liotti with the department.