Woman jailed for stalking victim while pretending to be a man

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A woman who used a voice-changing application to sound like a man during a “sophisticated” stalking campaign has been jailed for more than two years.

Adele Rennie, 33, from Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, pretended to be a male pharmacist when she matched with her victim on the dating platform Tinder in August 2023.

They exchanged mobile phone numbers with Rennie, a registered sex offender, later arranging to have flowers delivered to the victim’s home address, prosecutors said.

The woman then arranged to go on a date with the person who she believed to be a man from the fake profile.

On August 21 2023, Rennie cancelled the meeting at the last minute which resulted in the victim believing that the Tinder account was a “catfish” profile.

Six days later she received a voice note from a woman who called herself Cheryl, claiming to be a friend of the man and asking her “not to give up on him”.

She then received calls from the man which she believed sounded like the voice had been altered.

On September 5, the victim received an unwanted explicit image from Rennie, who stated she did not mean anything by it and was unable to delete it.

A week later the woman received a message from Rennie containing a photograph taken outside the complainer’s workplace.

Prosecutors said that on October 8, Rennie sent her victim a screenshot of Google Maps which showed someone outside her home.

The woman then received a photograph of her street which had been taken through a car window.

Five days later the victim was sent a ticket for a gig in London by Rennie but decided she did not want to go. Rennie then asked her to send the ticket on via Ticketmaster to an email address.

The woman was then shown pictures from the concert by a witness showing Rennie in attendance there. She then contacted police who searched Rennie’s home on November 14, 2023.

A mobile phone was examined which revealed an email address with the name of the man and searches for the victim in its internet history.

The police also found a photograph matching the fake male profile and recovered several bank cards, which had not been declared in accordance with Rennie’s sex offender notification requirement.

Rennie previously appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on July 30 where she admitted four charges.

On Friday this week, Rennie was sentenced to 28 months in prison and made subject to a 12-month supervised release order at the same court, the Crown Office said.

She was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

David Bernard, procurator fiscal for north Strathclyde, said: “Adele Rennie carried out a sophisticated stalking campaign despite being subject to strict notification requirements as a registered sex offender.

“We recognise that the trauma suffered by victims of stalking can be profound and distressing.

“We hope this conviction brings some comfort to those affected by Rennie’s concerning and manipulative behaviour.

“I would encourage anyone who has been the victim of such offending to come forward, report it and seek support.

“You will be listened to, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to seek justice.”

A non-harassment order, banning Rennie from approaching, contacting, or attempting to approach or contact her victim for a period of five years was granted at the court on Friday.

She was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.