Rob Keating, 40, has been sentenced to a hospital order after stalking US travel influencer Alexandra Saper to Bali and threatening to kidnap her while suffering from grandiose delusions. Keating bombarded Saper, a photographer and former lawyer, with emails and videos that became increasingly intense, sexual, aggressive, and offensive, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.
Threats and Stalking
Keating told Saper he would do whatever was necessary to be with her, including kidnapping. He was convicted of two counts of stalking involving fear of violence. Psychiatrist Daron Aslanyan diagnosed Keating with a delusional disorder, noting his grandiose delusions about changing the world contributed to the offending. Aslanyan said Keating had no insight into his mental disorder and showed no empathy for the victim.
Hospital Order Imposed
Judge Michael Bowes KC stated the hospital order with a restriction was necessary for Keating to receive treatment he might refuse in prison due to his denial of the diagnosis. The judge said his overriding concern was to protect the public and Saper from future harm.
Prosecutor Alexandra Bull said Keating began following Saper, who has over 100,000 Instagram followers on her TheWayfaress account, in June 2022. He sent a direct message that Saper found weird and creepy. After she blocked him, he sent incessant emails and videos to her business account. Saper read an email where Keating said he loved her, wanted to be with her, and would do whatever necessary, including kidnapping.
Travel to Bali and Continued Harassment
Keating told Saper he would leave his job to travel to Bali to be with her. In late January 2023, he bought a plane ticket and traveled to the Indonesian island. He sent messages saying he wanted to punish her and that she would never get rid of him. He also sent an image of a person in a suitcase, terrifying Saper and forcing her to leave her home and stay with friends. She was terrified someone was watching her every move.
Despite being arrested upon his return to Gatwick Airport in March 2023, Keating contacted Saper again over a year later, sending screenshots of flights to Bali with the caption Round Two, leading to his arrest again in November 2024.
Victim Impact
In her victim impact statement, Saper said she was forced to flee her home and then Bali, suffering panic attacks. Her mental health crumbled, she disappeared from social media, her business halted, and she was isolated from friends, barely able to eat or sleep. She had started her social media account to encourage women to travel independently, but those beliefs were shattered by a stranger who found her online. She hoped ignoring him would make him stop, but instead he became more obsessed, sexually explicit, and aggressive, culminating in threats of kidnapping.
