08 March 2024 , 20:45
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An astrophysicist at the University of Oxford has spoken of the "fear and revulsion" she felt after learning a stranger had flown more than 4,000 miles to camp outside her office in hopes she'd agree to be his "Valentine".
Augustine Lopez, 47, decided to travel from Florida to the UK after discovering Dr Rebecca Smethurst, 33, through her YouTube channel — where she talks about all things science with her 731k subscribers — a court heard. Lopez decided to make the lengthy journey to the prestigious university after sending her a smattering of unanswered messages on social media and to her email in hopes of meeting the scientist, according to The Telegraph.
When he arrived at Heathrow on February 13 he had no hotel reservation and was carrying an illegal canister of mace on him. He even had his bags sent to Dr Smethurst's office.
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The much-loved content creator was left terrified (drbecky_s/Instagram)“Mr. Lopez came to this country specifically with one sole purpose. That sole purpose was to stalk Dr. Rebecca Smethurst,” Prosecutor Kellie Enever told the Oxford Crown Court, adding: “Mr. Lopez does not know her. All we say he knows about Dr. Smethurst is what he has acquired from social media.”
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Prosecutors alleged Lopez, from Melbourne, Florida, caused the Oxford researcher “serious distress and alarm” and that his “unwanted contact” was “unsettling and impacted on her daily life."
Lopez allegedly tried to enter her office but was luckily prevented by going inside the receptionist. Dr Smethurst then eerily received a message on Instagram allegedly from Lopez that said: “I found the building, but not you.”
Checking her inbox a month later, she found another message that read: “I owe you a delightful time, be my Valentine.”
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“The messages made me feel a mix of fear and revulsion. My skin was crawling that this person thought that I wanted to read this,” Dr Smethurst told the court.
“It felt like such an invasion of my own life and privacy," she added. She testified she has never met Lopez before.
Dr Smethurst, who is a junior researcher at Oxford University, specialises in research around the impact of black holes on galaxies and has written multiple books about space. Her YouTube channel has also garnered a huge audience and she regularly features as an expert on news programs in the UK on discussions about space and science.