A Melbourne woman who posed online as Home & Away actor Lincoln Lewis and enacted a string of horrific catfishing and stalking cases on unsuspected women has been handed a jail sentence of two years and eight months by a Victorian judge this afternoon.
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29-year-old Lydia Abdelmalek was given the sentence today after previously being found guilty on six stalking-related charges back in April.
Over a period of years, Abdelmalek was found to have posed as the high-profile Lewis on Facebook where she coerced unsuspecting women into believing the real Lewis was making romantic advances on them, before taunting them with cruel threats and engaging in severe acts of stalking, malicious manipulation, and harassment.
Magistrate Stephen Ballek described the acts carried out by Abdelmalek as “calculated and cruel,” while victim impact statements were read out detailing the horrific abuse enacted and the toll its taken on the victim’s lives.
One victim of Abdelmalek’s went so far as to change her mobile number several times in order to escape the torment, however Abdelmalek manipulated Optus into handing over contract details which enabled her to thwart the victim’s attempts to escape.
Tragically another victim, who Abdelmalek stalked for a period of years, was left with such horrific mental health issues because of the ordeal that she sadly took her own life last year.
Unbelievably, while listening to victim impact statements in court, Abdelmalek showed little emotion and even held a photo of Lewis while proceedings were underway.
In April, the real Lincoln Lewis posted a series of Tweets relaying his disgust at the entire ordeal, asserting it was “scary” and “sickening.”
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Having your number, address, personal details illegally obtained & photos doctored was scary.
Having them used to catfish people is sickening.
But nothing can give back or make right what this sick person did and took away from the victims. https://t.co/MW2ICAlXap— Lincoln Lewis (@linc_lewis) April 9, 2019
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For everyone, but especially for those with kids, KNOW who you or they are talking to online.
BE ABSOLUTELY SURE of it!
Social media can be great but also a scary place as there are sick twisted people out there.
Be safe.— Lincoln Lewis (@linc_lewis) April 9, 2019
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I also want to take this time to thank the incredible police & detectives who have worked tirelessly on this case over the last 8 years. You see the worst actions in people yet never give up. You are amazing. Thank you.— Lincoln Lewis (@linc_lewis) April 9, 2019
In early April, the ABC published a lengthy investigation into the entire ordeal, painting a harrowing picture of horrific abuse and manipulation enacted on totally innocent victims over a period of multiple years.
