LOS ANGELES
A federal grand jury Tuesday named a Pasadena man in a 26-count indictment for making a series of detailed threats to harm, rape, and kill 10 victims he met in various social and business settings, officials stated.
Samuel Trelawney Hughes, 31, who is an English citizen, was charged with seven counts of stalking, nine counts of making online threats, three counts of mailing threatening communications, and seven counts of witness tampering.
The indictment alleges that Hughes – sometimes using his real name, and other times using aliases or social media accounts designed to conceal his true identity – sent his victims communications in which he expressed hope they would die or in which he made specific threats to harm them.
For example, in October 2019, after one victim reported prior threats from Hughes to law enforcement authorities, Hughes allegedly sent the victim an email stating in part: “someone I can guarantee will come out and first bash you head in, rape you slash your throat and burn your car and house.” Hughes allegedly sent another threat that read in part: “I will rip your f****** throat out and stab you in the eyes and put gasoline over your half mutilated body.”
Court documents state that Hughes used online aliases and handles that included xavier.herrera666, parsonstheo38, theoparsons4, tony.hawk.exskater, tony.flavelle450, byword.photography, julius.caesar411, charlotte.massey400, and a.total.wanker400.
The FBI began investigating Hughes in May 2019 after one victim filed a complaint with the Internet Crimes Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).
“After being contacted by both the FBI and state law enforcement officers on multiple occasions regarding the threatening communications, Hughes continued to send electronic communications and letters threatening to injure, rape, or kill at least three of the victims who had reported his threats to the police,” according to a criminal complaint.
“In his communications to some victims, Hughes threatened that contacting the police would lead to the injury or death of the victim or the victims’ loved ones.”
Hughes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.