BOSTON — A 37-year-old Plymouth man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a 16-year cyberstalking campaign that targeted more than six women, including two minors, and to possessing child sexual abuse material, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
“The defendant preyed on women in his life, exploiting their relationships and going to great lengths to betray and terrorize them,” the office said in a statement.
James Florence Jr. pleaded guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns. Florence has remained in custody since his arrest in September 2024.
According to federal prosecutors, Florence used 62 accounts across nearly 30 online platforms to harass, surveil, and impersonate women he knew. Between 2008 and 2024, he stole personal photos from victims’ personal accounts, altered the images to make them appear nude or sexually explicit, and publicly posted them alongside the victims’ names, home addresses, and other identifying information, including driver’s license photos and professional affiliations.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Florence frequently incited strangers to contact his victims directly, with some individuals demanding real sexually explicit content under the threat of sharing doctored images with the victims’ friends, families, or employers. In one case, he used a victim’s name, image, and personal details to program at least three AI-driven chatbots that engaged in explicit conversations and revealed how to find or contact her. For another, he fabricated an online persona describing her alleged sexual preferences, made false claims about sex toys in her home, and posted her address, encouraging strangers to solicit her. He also created and shared a collage of digitally altered nude images of a victim alongside her full personal information, urging others to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”
Many of Florence’s victims still receive harassing and threatening messages from strangers who came across the content he posted online.
A search of Florence’s Plymouth residence in 2024 uncovered numerous items stolen from victims, including dozens of pairs of women’s underwear and socks, a custom phone case featuring the image of one of the victims, at least one photo of a victim taken when she was a minor, and 62 images and four videos of child sexual abuse material involving minor girls between the ages of eight and 15.
Florence had previous employment in the tech sector, including with an emerging technology company that performed work for the U.S. government. Prosecutors say he used advanced tools to evade detection, including VPNs, as well as encrypted foreign email providers and anonymous overseas “revenge porn” websites that do not respond to U.S. legal requests or retain identifying records.
Florence faces up to five years in prison per cyberstalking count and up to 20 years for possession of child pornography, along with possible lifetime supervised release and fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI Boston Division with support from the Plymouth Police and Fire Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm is prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is a victim of cyberstalking, visit the Office for Victims of Crime: https://ovc.ojp.gov.
