A Michigan mother is facing charges for catfishing her own daughter in an elaborate scheme that she tried to pin on other teens.
According to Isabella County Prosecutor David Barberi, 42-year-old Kendra Gail Licari was arrested and charged on Monday. The cyberbullying began online in early 2021, though a complaint was not filed until December of last year. Licari’s daughter and her then-boyfriend, both minors, were inundated with harassing texts and social media messages.
As investigators began looking into the matter, it became clear that Licari was the one behind the cyberstalking. The woman was a Beal City Schools basketball coach, where her daughter was a student. That did not deter her from allegedly creating fake online profiles of teenagers and using web software to mask her IP address. As police zeroed in on her, Licari attempted to place the blame on another student for the harassment.
When the FBI was able to determine that the IP addresses used led back to Licari, she made a full confession. She did not provide a motive as to why she targeted her own daughter and the young man. Their identities have not been made public.
Licari was released on a $5,000 bond. The mother is now facing two counts of stalking a minor, two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, and one count of obstruction of justice. She is facing over ten years if convicted.
Licari will appear in court on December 29th to determine if there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial.
