A Michigan woman has been arrested for orchestrating a catfishing harassment campaign against two teenagers, including her own daughter, and then attempting to frame a classmate for the bullying.
Kenra Gail Licari, 42, of Mt Pleasant, was arrested on 12 December after authorities alleged she created a fake online persona to cyberbully her daughter and the girl’s then-boyfriend, according to the Morning Sun. She later tried to frame another classmate of the teens for the harassment.
Ms Licari, who worked as a basketball coach for Beal City Schools, faces five charges: two counts of stalking a minor, two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, and one count of obstruction of justice. The charges relate to a probe that began in December 2021 after reports of cyberbullying within the Beal City School District.
Investigators gathered 349 pages of harassing texts and social media messages, which were traced back to IP addresses linked to Ms Licari. She made a full confession when confronted by police, said Isabella County Prosecutor David Barberi.
Ms Licari could face up to 10 years in prison for the computer crime charges and five years for stalking and obstruction if convicted. The FBI joined the investigation in April after local police began looking into the case in January.
