Warning: This article contains discussion of stalking which some readers may find distressing.
A disturbing case emerged when a cyberstalker traveled nearly 2,500 miles to seek a “date” with a young girl he had discovered on YouTube. Timothy Nielsen, a 45-year-old from Gresham, Oregon, made the long journey to Brunswick, Ohio, in 2022 with the intent to meet a girl whose arts and crafts videos had caught his attention.
It was reported that Nielsen first stumbled upon the girl’s YouTube channel when she was just six years old. He started leaving inappropriate comments on her videos, prompting her parents to deactivate the channel, believing that the geographical distance would mitigate any actual threat to their daughter.
However, Nielsen’s obsession didn’t wane with the shutdown of the channel. Lt. Robert Safran from Brunswick Police told News 5 Cleveland, “Mr. Nielsen found his way to Ohio and almost located the girl.”
The situation escalated when the girl’s father encountered Nielsen outside their home. “When he saw officers out front with Mr. Nielsen in custody, that’s when he called our dispatch and relayed ‘I think I know who this gentleman is,'” Safran explained. “It was an arts and crafts type channel and Mr. Nielsen began commenting on the YouTube comments portion and they were in an inappropriate nature.”
Despite being blocked, Nielsen continued his pursuit on other social platforms, employing tactics such as creating fake accounts and attempting to contact the girl’s friends. Police reports indicated that Nielsen had even pinpointed the exact neighborhood where the now 12-year-old lived.
Upon arriving in Brunswick, Nielsen’s desperate attempts to locate the girl led him to knock on doors, which prompted residents to call the police. In bodycam footage from July 28, 2022, Nielsen was recorded telling a police officer, “I’m just trying to get a date with a girl on the internet,” further revealing, “I’ve been after her for five years and I haven’t heard nothing from her.”
The situation intensified when the girl’s father informed the police about Nielsen’s prolonged harassment. Shockingly, during the confrontation, Nielsen exclaimed, “12’s too old, I was looking for a six-year-old.”
Nielsen was subsequently arrested and charged with menacing by stalking and importuning. Following a trial, he was convicted on three counts and received the maximum sentence of four and a half years in prison. “This would’ve ended tragically had the individuals on the street not contacted us to check out a suspicious person call,” Safran added.
The victim’s family, still grappling with the aftermath, expressed that the charges were “not tough enough” and have since secured an emergency protection order.
Timothy Nielson stalked an 8 yo after seeing her crafting channel on YouTube. Her parents shut it down immediately and called the authorities. They were dismissive and said it wasn't a big deal for 4 years.
Then he showed up on their doorstep demanding a date with the 12 yo. pic.twitter.com/oe2ufUYg8P
— AskAubry 🦝 (@ask_aubry) June 23, 2024
“This was not a relationship, there was no back and forth communication, there was never a connection between the two of them,” a family spokesperson stated. “He locked onto her and despite the protections before and after this happened.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by stalking, help is available through the VictimConnect Resource Center at 1-855-4VICTIM (855-484-2846), open on weekdays.