EVERETT — The texts were meant to intimidate.
They indicated someone was watching and they threatened harm.
The messages appeared on the cellphone of a Snohomish County deputy prosecutor earlier this month.
One early morning text said: “That’s a nice Volvo. Pretty blue. Too bad it has to be parked outside.”
A half-hour later came a text about the prosecutor’s father, where he lived and the type of car he drives.
Shortly thereafter was the message: “Do I have your attention yet?” followed by an ultimatum to write back. With it was a warning that “it will be bad not just for you but your family” if the prosecutor contacted police.
That afternoon, there was a follow-up text: “Time is up. What happens next is up to you.”
The prosecutor had reached out to police in the interim. They did some internet sleuthing to track down the source of the anonymous threats.
As Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives zeroed in, another text arrived. It read in part: “You need to drop the charges against Mr. Shoop and clear the bench warrant for his arrest. If you do this you will never hear from him or I ever again.”
The message had come from an account under the name Casey Shoop, 31, a registered sex offender convicted in 2009 of crimes against three girls in Clallam County, according to court papers. The prosecutor had recently filed paperwork against him for allegedly failing to comply with registration requirements. That led to arrest warrants against him.
When a detective interviewed the suspect, he allegedly said he was trying to get out of his legal entanglements, that he didn’t want to hurt anybody and that he just wanted all his troubles to go away.
That is not happening.
He has new troubles.
He’s now charged with felony harassment and intimidating a public servant. His bail was set at $250,000.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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