American actor pleads guilty to harassing Irish doctor 20 after three weeks of love with J1 The Irish Times

An American actor pleaded guilty on Friday to harassing a Cork doctor nearly 20 years after they dated for three weeks while a student on a J1 visa.

A bail hearing revealed that for almost two decades, Steven Spenneberg (55) constantly sent unwanted gifts and messages declaring his love to the woman he last saw in 2004.

However, they went unanswered and attempts to contact escalated into a threatening voicemail and his arrival in Ireland when he showed up at his family’s home in Co Cork on New Year’s Eve.

The unemployed actor and radio host from Oakshire Drive, Los Angeles, was charged with stalking the woman (40), who now lives in Dublin, from May 2020 until January 3 this year.

He was denied bail last month and appeared before Judge Gerard Jones in Cloverhill District Court on Friday when he signed a guilty plea to the charge.

He told his lawyer Sharon Rossiter that he understood the charge against him and confirmed that he pleaded guilty.

Judge Jones then granted an order committing him for sentencing to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where the case will be scheduled for March 16. Legal aid was granted.

Earlier, jurisdiction was denied and it was ruled that the case should be taken to the higher court, which has broader sentencing powers.

In her first appearance last month, the District Court heard the Cork woman had spent years blocking her emails and social media posts.

She had said at a bail hearing that she was concerned that year that the defendant had left her a voicemail saying desperate people do desperate things.

Garda Shauna Ferncombe of Donnybrook station arrested the accused in Dublin and charged Mr Spenneberg, who did not respond.

Expressing witness interference and flight risks, Garda Ferncombe said the woman had met Mr Spenneberg while on a J1 visa and working in San Diego in 2004.

They had been dating for three weeks when she was 21 and he was 35.

She returned in September 2004 to study medicine, and the defendant allegedly began phoning and emailing her, declaring his love for her. The court heard she never responded, but he continued to send faxes and social media messages on Bebo, MySpace, Instagram and Facebook.

She blocked him on all platforms and deleted his social media accounts due to online harassment.

After graduating and starting to work in a clinic in 2012, he reportedly made worrying efforts to contact her through his work.

The court heard that this made her feel violated, embarrassed, exposed and threatened.

The court heard in 2015 he created a work email account and sent her a message titled Explanation from me. It was alleged that he fantasized about living with her.

The garda said it caused the woman distress and affected her career. Garda also contacted him to ask him to stop.

The court heard that he was constantly trying to make contact on social media.

It was alleged that in June last year he left a voicemail saying: I lost my fucking job, I can’t live here anymore, I’m tired of this game. The court heard that he had also stated that he was desperate and that desperate people do desperate things.

The garda said it got worse, and on New Year’s Eve he flew from the United States to Shannon and headed straight for his family home. Her mother asked if he had been the American contacting her daughter.

She suggested he visit the Western Way, which he did for two days, but kept stopping him later in Dublin.

The court heard that Mr. Spenneberg told the officers it brought him closer to the complainant.

The garda believed he had a romantic fascination and was obsessed.

The officer had said the woman had known him for three weeks, but after nearly 20 years he is a complete stranger.

Defense attorney Brian Keenan described his client, who is single, as desperate and lonely.