Who: 
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Investigative Operations Bureau
-Burglary & Pawn Unit

Reginald Bernard Nelson (Arrested)
DOB: 01/30/1969
Address: Transient
Charges: One Count of Cyberstalking

The victim is a 73-year-old female. Per Florida Statute §415.107(1) no further information will be released that would tend to identify the victim.

What: 
Detectives assigned to the Investigative Operations Bureau Burglary & Pawn Unit have arrested a man for one count of Cyberstalking of a local Realtor.

When: 
The suspect was arrested on Friday, August 4, 2017. At approximately 9:00 a.m.

Where: 
The crime occurred in Pinellas County.

The arrest took place in a parking lot near 43rd Street and Park Boulevard in Pinellas Park.

Why/How: 
Detectives assigned to the Burglary and Pawn Unit began their investigation on Saturday, June 17, 2017, after receiving information that the suspect, who was unknown began sending text messages to the victim, who is a local real estate agent. When the victim replied to the text messages initially she received a photograph of an explicit image followed by sexual messages. The suspect sent multiple explicit messages to the victim.

Through various investigative techniques, detectives were able to identify the suspect who was later identified as 48-year-old, Reginald Bernard Nelson.  Nelson has been linked to approximately twenty-one cases that were reported to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Gulfport Police Department, Clearwater Police Department, and Treasure Island Police Department.  The victims in these related cases were also real estate agents who were receiving similar text messages.

Detectives through various investigative techniques were able to locate Nelson.

Upon interviewing Nelson, Investigators say he admitted that he intentionally would find local female realtors in local advertisement papers and contact them with inappropriate images and or texts.

Detectives arrested Nelson for one count of felony cyberstalking. Investigators say more charges on Nelson are pending.

Nelson was transported to the Pinellas County Jail without further incident.

The investigation continues.