Scott Robert Tardy, a 32-year-old resident of Seymour, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice. The charges stem from a scheme in which Tardy targeted an FBI agent based in South Carolina and the agent’s family.
According to prosecutors, Tardy used the Kik social media platform under the username “connecticut12345” to participate in an anti-law enforcement chat group. He singled out the victims because of their association with the FBI, sharing photographs of the agent’s spouse as well as details about their location. Messages sent by Tardy discussed violent acts against the agent and his family, including references to using a Molotov cocktail.
Tardy later suggested moving conversations to Telegram, where he operated as “slimybanana.” On this platform, he spoke about inflicting violence on the victims and referenced recording such acts on video. He also shared a map pinpointing the victims’ home address and asked another user how long it would take them to reach that location.
When authorities executed a search warrant at Tardy’s apartment on February 16, he denied any involvement with Kik or Telegram and denied responsibility for sending threatening messages. Investigators reported that Tardy gave further false statements during interviews and reset his phone before exchanging it for a new one. Despite these actions, investigators recovered data linking him directly to both social media accounts and retrieved evidence such as the map with a pin drop at the victims’ residence.
At the time of these offenses, Tardy was employed as a corrections officer at a detention facility in Connecticut. Additional evidence indicated that he had engaged in other online predatory behavior involving disturbing discussions about drugging women and sharing images of children while discussing child sexual abuse.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. handed down an 80-month sentence—a period longer than federal sentencing guidelines suggest—citing the serious impact on those targeted by Tardy’s actions. After serving his prison term, Tardy will be subject to three years of supervised release. He is also required to pay more than $5,000 in restitution for financial losses suffered by his victims due to his conduct.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for South Carolina stated: “The work of a law enforcement agent is difficult enough without the undue burden of threats against their safety and the safety of their family,” adding that support for law enforcement partners remains steadfast.
Kevin Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office said: “Cyberstalking has serious consequences, as this defendant has now learned,” noting that “His deliberate actions were intended to instill fear and resulted in lasting trauma for the victims. The FBI will always investigate, pursue, and bring to justice individuals who exploit digital platforms to engage in criminal conduct.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Elliott B. Daniels.
