By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Scott Testa was charged with cyberstalking after allegedly posting AI-generated images depicting a former Whitpain Township, Pa., police officer and a township official in Ku Klux Klan robes.
- The charges stem from a yearslong dispute beginning with 2018 rental-property disputes and a 2024 break-in Testa reported that police found unfounded.
- Prosecutors say Testa used websites, email and podcasts to falsely claim a federal civil rights lawsuit was pending against the township and that it was “run by racists.”
- The indictment alleges Testa also identified the officer’s family members, posted his home address, and made false misconduct claims to more than 50 of the officer’s current colleagues.
- Testa appeared in federal court Sept. 8, and a judge ordered him detained pending trial.
WHITPAIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Montgomery County man has been charged with cyberstalking after allegedly posting AI-generated images depicting a former local police officer and a township official in Ku Klux Klan robes, according to a federal indictment and reporting by NBC Philadelphia.
According to the indictment, Whitpain Township police began responding to rental-dispute calls at properties owned by Scott Testa in 2018, after which Testa began receiving code enforcement violation notices. In 2024, Testa reported a break-in at one of the properties, which police determined to be unfounded; two people were separately charged with harassment and disorderly conduct in connection with the incident. Testa subsequently began a campaign of letters and emails criticizing police handling of the case.
Whitpain Township later filed a civil complaint seeking to compel Testa to resolve his code violations, and a Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas judge granted a preliminary injunction in January 2025. That month, Testa created a website criticizing the township and police department and filed a counterclaim, alleging he was being targeted because he was in an interracial relationship. A federal judge remanded the case to state court in February 2025, and the matter ended when an amended complaint was never filed.
Prosecutors allege Testa continued targeting township and police officials through 2025 and into 2026, using email, websites and podcasts to falsely claim a federal civil rights lawsuit was pending against the township and that the township was “run by racists.” On April 28, 2026, Testa allegedly posted an AI-altered image on Reddit depicting a former township officer in a KKK robe, along with the name of the officer’s current employer, and falsely claimed the officer had been fired over misconduct allegations. He also allegedly emailed more than 50 of the officer’s current colleagues repeating the false claims.
The indictment further alleges Testa posted images and fabricated, racist quotes attributed to the officer’s colleagues, identified the officer’s family members, posted his home address, and falsely claimed the officer had assaulted a disabled child. Testa is also accused of posting an AI-altered image showing a township official and his family in KKK robes with their faces visible, accompanied by messages including threats that the official’s “career and family’s future” would be affected.
Testa appeared in federal court Sept. 8, and a judge ordered him detained in federal custody pending trial.