Cyberbullying can happen to anyone — even at the hands of a parent.
That shocking reality is laid bare in the Netflix documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, which tells the story of Kendra Licardi, a Michigan mother who spent more than a year in prison after catfishing and harassing her own daughter.
The case has sparked widespread outrage and debate about how authorities handle online abuse, and now cyber security expert Dr. James McGibney, also known as ‘Bully Hunter,’ has weighed in with his perspective.
A Mother’s Shocking Betrayal
Kendra Licardi, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor after sending her teenage daughter, Lauryn, and Lauryn’s then-boyfriend, Owen McKenny, hundreds of thousands of aggressive and abusive messages over several years.
Authorities only caught Kendra after tracing an IP address linked to the phone number used in the harassment.
The case highlights the extreme lengths some parents will go to when controlling their children’s lives — a reality Dr. James says he has seen far more often than most people realize.
Bully Hunter Claims He Could Solve the Case in Minutes
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail ahead of his A&E special Bully Hunter, Dr. James claimed the perpetrator could have been unmasked in just 15 minutes.
He criticized law enforcement for initially failing to take the case seriously.
“Some police just aren’t equipped to understand the intricacies of online harassment,” he said.
“When it’s in the real world, they know how to handle a stalker showing up at your house. Online, it’s a different story.”
Mothers Catfishing Their Own Children Isn’t as Rare as You Think
Dr. James has witnessed numerous cases of parents, particularly mothers, targeting their children or their children’s partners online.
“A lot of people are shocked that a mother would do that to her daughter,” he explained.
“But I see mothers who aren’t happy with who their daughters are dating, so they create fake profiles to harass the boyfriend — and sometimes their own child.
You’d be surprised how cruel a parent can be.”
Taking Justice Into His Own Hands
In his career, Dr. James has helped victims who feel abandoned by the system, including individuals who h
ave exhausted legal options like restraining orders and lawyers.
His new A&E documentary follows one such case, where former elementary schoolteacher Rebecca’s nude photos from nearly 20 years ago resurfaced online, threatening her career and personal life.
Dr. James took on the challenge of finding both the person who originally posted the photos and a second individual who had shared them elsewhere.
Tracking Down Digital Footprints
Dr. James explained that uncovering online perpetrators often comes down to one small mistake in their digital footprint.
“I always say everyone leaves a digital footprint,” he said. “You just have to find it.
I found one post from 2005 on a very obscure website that included a handle with identifying information — and once I had that, it was game over.”
Raising Awareness About Online Harassment
Through his work, Dr. James hopes to shine a light on the devastating effects of cyberbullying and how victims are often failed by the system.
“When the system fails victims, I come in and give them that restorative justice they desperately need and deserve,” he said.
Bully Hunter premieres Tuesday, September 23 at 10pm ET/PT on A&E.