The former commander of the San Diego-based naval warship Pearl Harbor was sentenced Friday to three years and one month in federal prison following his conviction for cyberstalking an ex-girlfriend by creating fake online s in her name and posting private photos to embarrass her, federal prosecutors said.
Navy Capt. Theodore Essenfeld, 53, was found guilty by a San Diego federal jury of identity theft for using the victim’s name and date of birth without authorization to create the fake s.
The verdicts, reached in July, followed a four-day trial at which prosecutors showed evidence of what they said in court documents was “Essenfeld’s calculated and extensive 15-month campaign” to use imposter Facebook and LinkedIn s.
“Viewing this conduct as a single 15-month campaign understates the egregiousness of Essenfeld’s conduct,” the prosecution wrote in its sentencing memorandum. “This conduct cumulatively involved dozens, if not hundreds, of individual decisions and actions.”
Essesnfeld’s attorney, Kerry Armstrong, told the Union-Tribune he was disappointed with the sentence and had been hoping instead for time-served and probation. He said Essenfield intends to appeal the verdicts.
“He definitely made a huge mistake in judgment regarding his actions in this case, but we do not feel that his conduct was criminal in nature,” Armstrong said. “He has proudly served his country for 34 years in the Navy, and it would be a real shame for his amazingly successful career to end this way.”
Essenfeld had several notable assignments in the Navy, including serving as the commanding officer of the Pearl Harbor from 2016 to 2018. In court documents, Armstrong said his client “was just weeks away from taking command of the USS San Diego (an amphibious landing ship) when he was arrested” in the cyberstalking case.
San Diego U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath said in a news release that the sentencing “marks the end of this perpetrator’s reign of cyber terror.”
“Cyberstalking is not just a nuisance or harmless prank; it’s a serious crime with devastating consequences,” McGrath said. “The torment this victim endured has profoundly impacted her life, and those who think they can hide behind a screen should know that justice will prevail.”
According to the sentencing document filed by prosecutors, Essenfeld and the victim met while both lived locally and continued a long-distance relationship after Essenfeld was transferred to an assignment in Colorado.
After a rough patch and reconciliation, prosecutors alleged, Essenfeld opened fraudulent email s using the victim’s personal information, then used those s to fake Facebook and LinkedIn profiles in the victim’s name.
After they broke up, the posting escalated, prosecutors said. He allegedly impersonated her, sometimes including her hometown, college and real work history, and interacted on dating groups, “soliciting sexual interest from men,” prosecutors said. They said he posted private photos and explicit content, and also bought a burner phone to link to the .
“Each step was a single, calculated act in furtherance of Essenfeld’s goal to punish and hurt (the victim) for their breakup,” they alleged.
Esssenfeld was first indicted in early 2023. Prosecutors said that while Essenfeld was out of custody awaiting trial, he created “fan club” s on social media with the victim’s name, photos and personal information. Prosecutors flagged U.S. District Judge Robert Huie, who ordered him into custody about a month before trial.
At Friday’s sentencing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Huie acknowledged the victim’s ordeal, commending her “courage and strength for coming forward.”
