Plymouth Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Cyberstalking Campaigns

A Man’s Digital Crimes and Their Lasting Impact

James Florence Jr., a 37-year-old man from Plymouth, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for cyberstalking multiple women. He will also serve a decade under supervised release and must register as a sex offender. His actions have left a trail of emotional and psychological damage that many describe as “waking nightmares.”

During his sentencing hearing in Boston, the atmosphere in Courtroom 21 was tense. Florence, a slight man with buzzed hair and a goatee, entered the courtroom quietly and sat between his two public defenders without making eye contact with the gallery. The room was filled with his victims, their families, and friends, all present to witness the consequences of his actions.

Florence pleaded guilty in April to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of child pornography. According to court documents and victim impact statements, at least one of his victims was a minor girl who endured the same level of harassment as the adult women. His crimes involved using technology to stalk and terrorize his targets, often through fake or AI-generated content.

One of the victims shared her experience in court, describing how she had locked down her home so thoroughly that her boyfriend referred to it as “Fort Knox Jr.” She met Florence when she was around 9 or 10 years old and never suspected that he would betray her trust. As fake images of her began appearing online, she faced harassment both in person and online. Despite earning two degrees to prove her worth, she was repeatedly denied job opportunities because of the nude photos associated with her name.

Another victim described how Florence, once a trusted friend, used his access to her home to steal her underwear and sell it online. The explicit nature of his abuse made it impossible to share many details publicly. This pattern of behavior was echoed by other victims, each describing how the internet's permanence ensured that the effects of his crimes would last indefinitely.

Prosecutor Luke Goldworm emphasized the duplicity of Florence’s actions, highlighting how he led a double life while exploiting the trust of those close to him. “He used his computer skills and ingenuity to turn the lives of these women into waking nightmares,” Goldworm said during the sentencing hearing.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns accepted the prosecution’s recommendation of 108 months in prison, which equates to nine years. He noted that the sentence could be longer but felt it was adequate. Stearns also imposed a 10-year term of supervised release, citing concerns about Florence’s ability to continue his harmful behavior if given the opportunity.

The judge expressed uncertainty about understanding Florence’s mindset, referring to him as having a “Jekyll and Hyde mentality.” He acknowledged the difficulty in grasping how someone could be both a trusted friend and a perpetrator of such crimes.

During the hearing, Florence offered a brief apology, stating that he had listened to the victims’ words and intended to use them to become a better person. However, one of his victims reflected on the duality of his identity, noting that she still thinks of him as “Jimmy,” the brother she loved, but cannot forgive “James,” the man who hurt her.

“He chose to torture women for a hobby, and that’s disgusting,” she said. “The effects of his crime do not end just because he’s in a cell serving time.”