BENSALEM, Pa. - Matthew John Bustin, a 34-year-old from King of Prussia, has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for a disturbing case of stalking that forced his victim to relocate.
The case highlights the calculated and invasive tactics Bustin employed after meeting the woman on a dating app.
What we know:
Court documents reveal that Bustin initially contacted the victim through a dating app, maintaining communication until she blocked him.
Following this, officials say his behavior escalated significantly.
Upon returning from vacation in April of last year, the victim discovered her electricity had been cut, her internet disconnected, and her security camera turned to face a wall.
Additionally, Bensalem police reported that Bustin placed a GPS tracking device on the underside of the victim's car, further invading her privacy and safety.
Dig deeper:
During the sentencing hearing on Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Brittney Kern presented a detailed timeline of Bustin's actions.
The timeline revealed Bustin conducted online searches of the victim before he had ever contacted her on a dating site.
The timeline also showed that in the weeks after the victim began communicating with Bustin, he was charged in a similar stalking case in Lehigh County.
The victim had only talked to Bustin for six weeks before his disturbing behavior led to her filing a police report.
During the hearing, the victim read an impact statement.
"I truly believed there was someone in my apartment with me," she stated.
She said she waited in her kitchen with a knife and called a friend for help.
Officials say the victim described the ‘scariest part’ as "knowing someone had been in my apartment... yet still not knowing who would do this."
The next day, officials say she filed the police report and within two days of filing, she was in so much fear that she moved out.
The victim continued to sleep with a knife next to her bed.
In what she described as "a heart-stopping moment," she found a note tucked among the pillows.
Officials say she described the discovery as a "sick psychological game," confirming her fears that Bustin was her stalker.
Further investigation by the Bensalem Township Police Department uncovered that Bustin had placed a magnetized GPS tracking device on the underside of her car.
Surveillance video captured him lying on the ground planting the device while her car was parked at her workplace.
Bustin's phone data placed him at her home and workplace on at least nine separate occasions after the relationship ended, and at her home at the exact moment her power was cut.
What's next:
As a condition of his sentence, Bustin will not be eligible for parole until he completes the H.O.P.E. substance abuse recovery program.
He has also been ordered to have no contact with the victim or any social media sites, pay $1,334.60 in restitution, and comply with all mental health and drug and alcohol requirements.
The Source: The information in this story is from the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.