Posted on 10/28/2003 1:51:58 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
CHICAGO (AP)--A man who sent dozens of obscene e-mails and letters to a television news anchor who he believed was speaking directly to him during newscasts must undergo mental health treatment, a judge has ruled. Tonny Horne, 32, of South Bend, Ind., pleaded guilty Monday to cyberstalking and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years of mental health probation. Investigators said his messages to Tamron Hall, a morning news anchor with Fox affiliate WFLD-TV, began in April 2002 and grew increasingly violent. Horne was arrested June 16 when security officers spotted him outside Fox studios in downtown Chicago. Judge Thomas Sumner said Horne, who goes by the name ``Big T'' because he weighs 420 pounds, could go to prison for up to five years if he violates his probation. Horne's attorney, Preston Jones Jr., said his client will benefit from the sentence. ``If he does the treatment and follow-up, then he is not a threat to anyone,'' he said.
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