Lindsay Hansen flashed a broad grin at news cameras as she walked into a Northern California courtroom Tuesday to face felony hate-crime and stalking charges.
Hansen, 47, of San Jose, appeared cheerful despite accusations that she harassed a father and his young daughter in a confrontation that spread widely online. The mother of one was out on bail at the time of the alleged September incident, having already been arrested in March for allegedly threatening to kill her former employer and her own child.
Authorities say Hansen targeted the same father on multiple occasions. On Sept. 6, she allegedly accused him of sex trafficking his daughter solely because their skin colors differed. Britlyn McCormick, a deputy district attorney with the Santa Clara County DA’s office, stated that Hansen “falsely (accused) the father of sex trafficking his child due to differences in the color of their skin,” according to the Press Democrat.
In the recorded confrontation, Hansen yelled from her car’s passenger window while filming the man and child.
“I’m making sure that you’re not sex trafficking this poor little girl who’s very unhappy to be with you,” Hansen told the father. “And doesn’t look like your child.”
“That’s a white little girl and you are a man of color. So, I believe you are either buying or selling or trafficking this child.”
The harassment did not stop there, authorities told the Press Democrat. On another occasion, Hansen allegedly approached the child directly to ask, “do you need help?” She also allegedly questioned the father, “are you legally in this country?”
Hansen’s behavior had already drawn attention from San Jose Unified School District, which sent an alert about a woman harassing community members. The district warned that it had “received reports of an individual harassing members of our community, including recording videos and taking photographs and posting content on social media.”
“San Jose Unified has filed a police report and is working closely with the San Jose Police Department,” the message continued.
The police department confirmed it was investigating after social media photos showed “an adult female subject unassociated to the school, accessing the high school locker room.” Authorities also say Hansen entered a girls’ locker room at a San Jose Unified school and accused PE teachers of inappropriate behavior.
Hansen’s online presence reveals a pattern of inflammatory claims. Her posts include a suggestion that Pope Leo XIV is Satan, numerous references to the Epstein files, various antisemitic content, and a declaration that the 2020 birth of her child marked the beginning of the 7-year tribulation, or end times.
The March case that put her on bail involves several charges, including threatening a crime resulting in death or great bodily injury. That case brought her to court on Friday, separate from Tuesday’s appearance in the stalking matter.
Tuesday’s proceedings in the stalking case were continued, with Hansen expected to return Thursday.