Ashanti's Stalker On Trial Again For Allegedly Harassing Star
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man on trial for harassing Ashanti for the second time is a relentless stalker, prosecutors said during opening arguments Monday in Manhattan.
Devar Hurd, who previously served two years in prison for stalking the singer/actress and her family, is facing charges of stalking and aggravated harassment.
Once he got out of jail in 2011, Hurd started harassing the "Foolish" singer again, beginning with phone calls to Tina Douglas, Ashanti's mother and manager, prosecutors said.
He then allegedly sent racy photos on Twitter and tweeted the Long Island-born star about lewd things he'd like to do to her.
Hurd, who is acting as his own lawyer in the trial, told the jury he's just one of the 1.75 million Twitter followers who Ashanti allows to tweet her on what he called an uncensored social media site, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
He defended his hundreds of tweets to the celebrity as adult-to-adult messages about consensual sex and emotional heartache.
Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Werner told jurors that Hurd was unfazed by his earlier conviction, jail time and a court order barring him from any contact with Ashanti and her family.
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