Durham man cyberstalked LGBTQ+ people for years, federal indictment alleges
A Durham man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of cyberstalking after allegedly harassing people for years because of their sexuality or gender identity, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
David Ryan Winters, 38, is charged with five counts of cyberstalking and faces a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges, according to a news release. The indictment alleges he stalked one victim for eight years, beginning in 2016 and ending in July of this year, and had at least five victims in total.
In addition to the eight years of alleged cyberstalking of one person, the Nov. 19 indictment charges that Winters also:
Stalked a second victim from October 2016 to Dec. 11, 2019, including coming to their house and sending intimidating messages to the victim and people associated with them that made the victim fear for their life
Sent harassing messages and voicemails to a third victim from June 2017 to Sept. 2 of this year
Monitored and messaged a fourth victim from August 2019 to July 17 of this year
Monitored and messaged a fifth victim from 2021 to Dec. 12, 2023
Upon his arrest Monday, Winters was eight months into a yearlong probation period after pleading guilty to a December 2023 misdemeanor charge of cyberstalking in Raleigh in February, court records show. A Wake County judge ordered Winters undergo six weeks of mental health treatment by April 8, but it’s not clear if he completed that treatment.
Winter also faces a pending charge of felony stalking in Durham County, according to court records. It’s unclear whether that case is tied to any of the victims outlined in the federal indictment.
Winters’ federal case is one of the latest efforts by U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr.’s Civil Rights Team, which launched in 2022 with a goal of investigating and prosecuting civil rights violations, according to the news release.
“Everybody has an equal right to live, work, worship, and love in America,” Easley said in the release. “We won’t tolerate those who threaten, stalk, or use violence just because they don’t like how somebody else lives.”
Hate crimes spike
The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, warned in September of rising hate crimes against members of the LGBTQ+ community after the FBI released its annual crime report for 2023.
The FBI reported
- 2,402 recorded incidents relating to sexual orientation in 2023, up 455 (23%) from the year before
- 547 recorded incidents relating to gender identity, up 78 (17%) from the year before.
“For the second year in a row, more than 1 in 5 of any type of hate crime is now motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias,” the Human Rights Campaign stated.
Winters will remain in custody until a first appearance in court next week, with an arraignment tentatively scheduled for January, court records show.
