A woman whose life was upended by a secret online stalker is expressing fear for her safety now that the man is set to be released from prison next month under an early release program. Kirsty Pellant, 46, was working at a school in Canterbury in 2016 when she began receiving inappropriate messages from unknown men online. She later discovered that a former colleague, Jonathan Bates, had created multiple fake online profiles impersonating her as a sex worker, using her personal details and images from her social media. These profiles contained explicit content and photoshopped images of her. In January 2025, Bates was sentenced to five years in prison for stalking and sexual image offenses related to Pellant and three other victims. Judge Simon Carr called the case some of the worst of its kind he had encountered. Bates is scheduled to be released in October under the government’s early release scheme. Pellant said she has not received any meaningful information to ensure her safety and is concerned about the lack of intervention or rehabilitation during his time in prison. Pellant has been undergoing therapy to deal with the trauma caused by the experience and feels it is unfair that Bates will soon be free. She is worried that advances in technology could enable him to reoffend if he is released without proper safeguards. She said there are currently no measures in place to protect victims when perpetrators return to the community. Pellant was forced to resign from her job after the fake profiles were leaked to parents at the school, creating a hostile environment. She is now campaigning to have reputational abuse recognized as a distinct form of abuse in the law and has started a petition. She argues that the current stalking laws do not fully address the long-term damage caused by Bates’ actions. She explained that because the images of her were fully clothed, her experiences have not been classified under intimate image abuse. She emphasized that being violated does not require nudity. She still occasionally receives messages from men online and finds profiles using her information still active. Pellant has left her career due to the damage caused by the stalking and continues to feel its effects nine years later. She feels the dangers and destruction caused by such actions are often underestimated. A government spokesperson expressed sympathy for Pellant and stated that the government is working with victims to create the strictest possible conditions for offenders upon release.