A Cochise County man indicted on multiple felonies for allegedly stalking a former girlfriend and sending sexually explicit images of her to the woman’s father and underaged sister will remain in jail awaiting trial unless he can post $50,000 bail, a judge recently ruled.
Anthony Glenn Stanley was taken into custody May 19 by the Willcox Police Department on suspicion of transmitting obscene material to a minor, stalking causing fear, unlawful distribution of nude or sexually explicit images, aggravated harassment in violation of a court order, and voyeurism for sexual stimulation.
A justice of the peace set bail at $50,000 at the time of Stanley’s arrest. It can be posted in cash or as a secured bond. But Stanley, 41, does not have the ability to arrange for pretrial release because he not worked for several months due to being in jail, his defense attorney argued last week.
Tucson-based attorney David Wilkison was retained by Stanley’s family. He proposed to Judge Joel Larson during an Aug. 21 hearing that a third-party release to Stanley’s current girlfriend in Texas or a reduced bail was more appropriate in the case.
“$50,000 could be $5 million when you don’t have a job,” Wilkison stated. “Let him live his life, as he is presumed innocent.”
In addition, the attorney noted a court-ordered GPS device would allow for monitoring of Stanley’s movements. There was a possibility the Veterans Affairs could provide treatment options as well as housing if Stanley, a former member of the U.S. Air Force, was required to remain in Arizona.
However, the prosecutor with the Cochise County Attorney’s Office contended Stanley’s actions leading up to his arrest justified the $50,000 bond to ensure Stanley appears for his court hearings and does not contact his former girlfriend or her family if he is able to secure is release.
Deputy County Attorney Terisha Driggs noted Stanley admitted violating an order of protection that required him to have no contact with the woman. Stanley had also blackmailed the former girlfriend by threatening to distribute sexually explicit videos of her if she did not communicate with him, according to Driggs.
Criminal charges going back more than one year show an escalation of criminal activities by Stanley directed toward his former girlfriend, Driggs told the judge.
“The victim is fearful of Mr. Stanley’s potential release, especially when he is drinking,” added. “An ankle monitor is not going to prevent that type of harassment.”
Prior to being indicted in the current felony case, Stanley was arrested and convicted in several misdemeanor cases through the Willcox Justice Court involving his former girlfriend or members of his family.
Those cases resulted in separate convictions for criminal damage, DUI, another criminal damage, and disorderly conduct domestic violence. Stanley also has an open case from last year for driving on a suspended license.
In one of the cases, Stanley hid in a tree on the former girlfriend’s property. He suffered minor injuries when he fell out of the tree, with medical responders noting Stanley appeared intoxicated.
The Aug. 21 hearing on modifying Stanley’s conditions of release offered the public a glimpse into some of the behind the scenes issues which may come into play if the case goes to trial.
Wilkison alleged the named victim “has two other ex-boyfriends” against whom she has obtained similar orders of protection. The woman reportedly contacted Stanley on occasion despite having obtained an order of protection that prohibited him from engaging in such contact.
In addition, the defense attorney advised Larson that at a July hearing the prosecutor told Larson a plea deal was going to be offered. No such offer has been made, according Wilkison.
It was also revealed that Stanley’s cellphone was seized by the Willcox Police Department at the time of his arrest in May. But a search warrant authorizing a forensic examination of the phone’s records and data was not requested until Aug. 2.
Wilkinson believes those records will provide some potentially exculpatory evidence.
The affidavit from Willcox PD Officer M. Callahan-English in support of the search warrant related to Stanley’s phone. In it, the officer notes Stanley took part in a post-Miranda interview where he repeatedly denied sending any sexually explicit images or videos to his former girlfriend.
This prompted officers to secure Stanley’s permission to take photographs of his genitals to compare against the images provided by the woman. However, Stanley refused to the photography as an officer was preparing to take images, according to Callahan-English.
“It should be noted Stanley asked who was going to be looking at his phone,” she wrote. “I advised that would be me out of respect for the victim. Stanley informed me that I would enjoy it with what he had on the phone and smiled.”
Larson left the $50,000 bail amount in place, calling it “appropriate.”
Stanely will be back in court Sept. 5 for a pretrial conference. His current in-custody speedy trial deadline is Nov. 2.