SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A Salt Lake City police officer faces felony stalking charges after allegedly harassing his ex-girlfriend with repeated messages across multiple platforms.
Todd Douglas Goodsell, 40, was charged on May 19 with third-degree felony stalking following allegations that he contacted the victim more than 52 times after she had explicitly asked him to stop.
According to charging documents, Goodsell continued to reach out through text messages, emails, phone calls, and various social media apps despite the victim’s repeated requests to cease communication. The documents describe Goodsell’s conduct as “a clear and convincing danger to the victim.”
Officials reported that Goodsell created new accounts on platforms such as Venmo and Instagram, and once impersonated a photographer to bypass the victim’s efforts to block him. In one instance, he sent flowers to the woman’s workplace. The victim also began receiving emails from businesses she had never contacted, believed to be connected to Goodsell’s harassment.
In an effort to protect herself, the victim changed her phone number, email address, and residence, and requested that her employer apply filters to block communications from Goodsell. She expressed concern that the stalking could escalate, stating she feared for her safety and worried that her life might be at risk.
While the victim reported that Goodsell was never physically abusive, police noted that stalking behavior significantly increases the risk of intimate partner violence, including homicide.
Goodsell’s case remains under investigation, and the Salt Lake City Police Department has not commented on the matter.