PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Michael Hart left prison April 15 after serving a little more than a year of a seven year sentence for posting revenge porn online and felony stalking. Friday he was charged with committing the same crimes days after his release, even admitting it to a new girlfriend.
“You’re going to do it again,” said S.C., the victim whose case sent Hart to prison in 2018. “And he said yes... I’m going to make a fake Facebook account and have a fake IP address and send her pictures out again.
KIRO 7 agreed not to reveal S.C.’s name to protect her privacy. Last year, Hart admitted sending sexually explicit pictures of S.C. to friends and family members through a fake Facebook account. When Hart was sentenced last year, S.C. asked the judge for a lengthy sentence, saying he was a threat to her and other women.
Instead, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Karena Kirkendoll chose a sentence of seven years, agreeing with a defense argument that Hart was mentally ill and wouldn't get counseling he needed in prison. At the time, Kirkendoll said she recognized he as a threat to other women.
Scroll down to continue reading
More news from KIRO 7
- DEVELOPING: Multiple people shot Friday in Seattle's Central District
- PHOTOS: Seattle police respond to shooting in Central District
- Bus riders say they're afraid at stop in Pioneer Square
- Vehicle noise enforcement starts at Alki Friday
- Do you have an investigative story tip? Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com
“This is a scenario that can only lead to further victims in the long run,” Kirkendoll said when pronouncing sentence. Kirkendoll also suspended parts of Hart’s sentence and gave him credit for time served in jail.
According to court documents, one week after Hart was out of prison, he began distributing pictures of S.C. online again, as well as stalking and threatening a woman he started dating after his release from prison.
He- “repeatedly called her phone throughout the day and left voicemails demanding sex”, according to a probable cause affidavit. Hart- “repeatedly sent her text messages and left voicemails demanding nude pictures-” and threatened the woman. According to charges, he told that victim “that he beats women who don't know when to shut up-."
Hart has a lengthy criminal record including stalking and threatening women and running from police. S.C. says she believes if he's not behind bars Hart could hurt or even kill someone.
“I don’t want him to get out,” she said after his arraignment. “He just continues to harm people’s lives. He does nothing good in this community but harm people’s lives and try to destroy them. I just want to be left alone.”
Hart pleaded not guilty to stalking and distributing intimate images. He was ordered held on $500,000 bail.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3F574DV5RRFSPAL5BS4ND7FRMY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/FENY3YJL7BGRXHTC36HSMTLH7I.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/WT5OX3M4DBAVDK2VKSM6HDKDUA.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/T5OQ62PXOJFSXNDCHL3R6ZLOJM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/34P5WKQTQNBCDGA5KPKWWQEE3Y.jpeg)