British Fantasist Given Interim Hospital Order After Stalking Campaign
A British man who conducted a terrifying stalking campaign against an American travel influencer, culminating in him travelling to Bali with rope in his suitcase, has been made subject to an interim hospital order.
Rob Keating, 40, from Horsham, West Sussex, was found guilty of stalking involving fear of violence at Portsmouth Crown Court in May. Judge Michael Bowes KC imposed the order to allow for further psychiatric assessments before sentencing.
A Campaign of Terror
According to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, Keating first contacted Alexandra Saper on Instagram in June 2022. Over a six-month period, the situation escalated dramatically.
The force confirmed the victim received hundreds of emails and 30 videos from her stalker. In December 2022, the threats reached a horrifying new level when Keating sent an email explicitly threatening to kidnap her.
He included links to videos where he threatened to kidnap and rape her. Most chillingly, he sent a picture of a body in a suitcase alongside videos of him threatening to do the same to her.
Fleeing for Safety
Ms Saper, a former lawyer who now runs the popular Instagram page The Wayfarer, was forced to take extreme measures for her safety. After Keating threatened to travel to Bali, where she lived, her friends spotted him near her address.
Fearing for her life, she fled to a friend's home, contacted local police, and subsequently left Indonesia. She travelled to Laos in a desperate attempt to put distance between herself and her tormentor.
In a video statement, Ms Saper said she felt she was being hunted like prey. She described the severe impact on her mental health, stating, I was sick, I couldn't eat, I was depressed.
Arrests and Continued Harassment
Keating was initially arrested at Gatwick Airport on 6 March 2023. However, his fixation persisted. More than a year later, he contacted Ms Saper again, sending screenshots of flights to Bali with the caption Round Two.
This led to his second arrest on 11 November 2024. Throughout the ordeal, Ms Saper testified that she never engaged with Keating, having blocked him on Instagram after he sent her excerpts from the erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey.
Undeterred, he bombarded her with emails and used another profile to monitor her social media posts, which he bizarrely believed contained secret messages for him.
Court Proceedings and Next Steps
At his trial, Keating attempted to downplay his actions, claiming the kidnap threats were merely playful ridiculousness and that the ordeal had no adverse effect on his victim.
Judge Bowes disagreed, imposing a 12-week interim hospital order based on the recommendations of two forensic psychiatrists. The judge confirmed that Keating is suffering from a mental disorder and that a hospital bed was available.
A further hearing has been scheduled for 13 February 2026, where a final sentence will be determined following the completion of further psychiatric assessments.
