WALNUT CREEK — A man in his 60s allegedly created an Instagram page featuring dozens of photos of a woman he barely knew from church — some edited with arrows pointed at her breasts, others with lewd on-screen captions, according to police.
But the only criminal charge that could be mustered against the 66-year-old Walnut Creek resident was a misdemeanor count of disobeying a court order, due to the fact that the woman already had a restraining order against him, court records show.
The bizarre Walnut Creek case was filed last year, but only commenced on June 27, when the defendant appeared in court for an arraignment. He remains out of custody and his trial has been set for August, records show.
The woman contacted police in February 2023, after learning the man allegedly violated a restraining order by creating the Instagram account and attempting to add her as an Instagram follower. The pre-existing court order barred him from contacting her or her children due to prior harassment, according to court records.
The woman told police she knew the defendant from attending the same church, and had not given him permission to post approximately 50 pictures of her on the Instagram page. Some contained captions referencing sex, or stating that she was “waiting for” him. Others contained images of the woman’s family members or implied that the two were hanging out after church, authorities said.