CORNPLANTER TWP., Pa. (EYT) — Charges against an Oil City man were held for court on Wednesday in a bizarre online stalking case.

According to court documents, 27-year-old Jerad Marshall Himes, of Oil City, is facing the following charges in the case:

• Stalking – Repeatedly Communicate To Cause Fear, Felony 3
• Criminal Use Of Communication Facility, Felony 3
• Unsworn Falsification to Authorities, Misdemeanor 2
• False Report – Falsely Incriminate Another, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
• Harassment – Communicating Lewd, Threatening, Etc. Language, Misdemeanor 3 (five counts)

A second-degree misdemeanor charge of impersonating a public servant was dismissed.

Himes’s bail was reduced from $100,000.00 monetary to $50,000.00 monetary; however, he remains lodged in the Venango County Jail.

The case is working its way through the court system.

Details of the case:

Franklin-based State Police filed charges on September 13 against Himes and Jessica Lynn Lee, 39, of Oil City.

A criminal complaint filed by Franklin-based State Police Trooper Cirell indicates the investigation began on September 13 when Jerad Himes and Jessica Lee arrived at the State Police barracks in Franklin to report an alleged harassment.

Himes and Lee said they received threatening messages on Facebook Messenger from a known woman.

Trooper Cirell spoke with the woman and warned her to stop sending messages to Himes and Lee.

The woman told Trooper Cirell that she “did not know what he was talking about,” according to the complaint.

On September 16, Himes and Lee returned to the police station to report another threatening message from the same woman, the complaint states.

The message was from a Facebook account bearing a different picture but displaying the same name.

The message said, “I’m going to kill u Jess Lee and Jerad and I will get away with it too. I’m going to tonight,” according to the complaint.

Trooper Cirell contacted the woman a second time and again warned her not to send messages to Himes or Lee.

According to the criminal complaint, Lee filed a third complaint, stating that she received another threatening message from the same woman.

On September 22, Himes provided a written statement to police stating that he had received threatening text messages from the same woman, the complaint continues.

Following further investigation, it was discovered that Himes’ statement wasn’t true, the complaint indicates.

That same day, police executed a search warrant at the residence of Lee and Himes in Corplanter Township.

As a result of the search, investigators were able to gain access to mobile phones used by Lee and Himes.

On one of the phones, police found a threatening Facebook message sent from Himes to Lee, the complaint states.

Additionally, a search of Himes’ email revealed an automated message from Facebook to the woman Himes and Lee claimed was sending threatening messages, the complaint indicates.

The automated email stated, “Hi (removed), It looks like you’re having trouble logging into Facebook. Just click the button below, and we’ll log you in,” according to the complaint.

The search also revealed that Himes was allegedly posing as the same woman on an adult dating site called Adult Friend Finder, the complaint states.

Additionally, the woman told police that she received multiple messages on Adult Friend Finder from accounts named “statecopsti,” and “officerCBe.”

One of the messages said, “If u keep getting on here couple of us r coming down to see u so stop.”

Police believe Himes was the person behind the fake accounts, according to the complaint.

Himes was arraigned on October 3 before District Judge Andrew F. Fish.

Lee faces a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 15, before Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish. She faces four counts of second-degree misdemeanor False Report – Falsely Incriminate Another.