DES MOINES, Iowa — EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video was originally published on April 17, prior to sentencing.
Two Des Moines business owners have been sentenced after pleading guilty to stalking a woman via GPS, Polk County Attorney Kimberley Graham announced Monday.
Steve McFadden, owner of Tipsy Crow Tavern and The Grumpy Goat Tavern, was accused of planting a GPS device on the victim's vehicle and using it to track her movements.
McFadden was sentenced to a year probation and a one-year suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to unauthorized placement and use of a GPS device and harassment.
A five-year no-contact order with the victim has also been put in place.
Another business owner, Ed Allen, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection to the case. Police say when McFadden was out of town, he enlisted Allen, the owner of Zora Bar and Rooftop, to track the victim for him.
Allen must pay a $500 fine and have no contact with the victim for five years.
“This case highlights what modern stalking looks like in the technological age, and we encourage other victims to come forward," Graham said in a press release. "We will continue to fight for survivors of domestic violence and partner abuse, as well as for efforts to strengthen Iowa’s laws in this area. Under current law, we can’t charge defendants for every instance in which they track a victim with a GPS device."
Graham also acknowledged community members' frustrations, writing in part:
“It’s important that the community understands that these plea deals were negotiated in consultation with the victim’s advocate. The victim is aware that had these cases proceeded to trial, she would have had to testify in two depositions and in two trials, putting her through an agonizing process with no guarantee of a conviction.