A River Falls woman who described herself as “a bored rich girl” escaped a felony conviction in a cyberstalking case, provided she adheres to her deferred judgment of conviction agreement.

Rebecca Ann Hedeen, 33, was convicted of misdemeanor sending obscene/sexually explicit electronic messages Sept. 29 in St. Croix County Circuit Court, sentenced to 60 days in jail (50 days stayed), and fined $1,741. She was also ordered to stay away from the victim and his girlfriend, as well as all WESTconsin Credit Unions.
She pleaded guilty to a felony stalking charge, entering into a deferred judgment of conviction agreement for two years. Felony misappropriate ID info – harm reputation, computer message – threaten/obscenity and harassment charges were read in for restitution purposes but dismissed.

According to the complaint:

St. Croix County deputies met with the complainant at 5:52 p.m. Sept. 14 at a rural New Richmond home where they heard a detailed account of cyber harassment that had been going on for more than a year. It began with text messages from an anonymous person wanting to have sexual encounters with the victim and soon escalated to continuous contact through emails, social media and texts, fake appointments at his job, and more. The person sent him nude photos of women and asked him to perform sexual acts.

Hedeen also admitted to sending him Amazon packages containing gifts from “cute stalker girl” and texting him from multiple virtual phone numbers so he didn’t know who was behind them.

Hedeen also set up fake social media accounts and fan pages in the victim’s name and left fake reviews using those profiles on various local businesses, including his employer, WESTconsin Credit Union. The suspect also contacted his brother, asking for his new phone number after he changed it. The victim said he has had to reach out to numerous corporations, asking them to remove the fake reviews using his name or fake social media pages that are slanderous and inappropriate.

Around February 2024, the suspect began posting on his employer’s social media sites and setting up appointments with him online using fake names but never showing up. He received pornographic materials in the mail and the suspect set up a Zola account, creating a fake divorce party for the victim and his girlfriend.

He also received hundreds of emails to his work and personal accounts from fake email addresses, some using his own name in them. Most of the emails were either sexual in nature or threatening his girlfriend. Others were taunting him for all the fake social media profiles set up with his name.

On Jan. 16, the victim informed police that the suspect had generated so many fake appointments on the WESTconsin website that actual customers could not set up any appointments, costing the business money and potential business. He felt the suspect’s actions were seriously harming his reputation and his employer’s reputation.

Police were able to track down Hedeen’s name through a payment she made on Amazon to send things to the victim. When they asked the victim if he knew Hedeen, he identified her as a former co-worker. Officers responded to her home on Golf View Drive in River Falls on Jan. 22, where she told police she was reaching out to the victim because she had a crush on him. She admitted to everything, including sending gifts, texting, emailing, setting up fake social media accounts and fan pages, posting fake reviews using his name and making fake appointments at his employer’s office. She said she was just trying to be “flirty and playful.” She described herself as “a bored rich girl” who drove by the victim’s home a few time.

Hedeen told police she had no intentions of physical harm or kidnapping, but wanted to have a sexual relationship with the victim. She got his parents’ address off Google. She said he never told her he was going to call the police or she would’ve stopped. She claimed he liked the attention and she enjoyed riling him up, seeing how far she could push him. Hedeen felt she had done nothing illegal, saying “Most guys would love a beautiful girl to stalk them."

A restitution hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Dec. 2 in Court Room 6.