Defendant from UK admits carrying rope to Bali, allegedly linked to US influencer, contends unanswered messages were merely jokes and asserts that she intentionally sought his attention.
Rewritten Article:
In an eyebrow-raising turn of events, a British man accused of stalking an American travel influencer in Bali insists his actions were merely playful. Rob Keating, 39, presumed to be a traffic manager, allegedly harassed the influencer with numerous emails, videos, and even travel plans to Bali, where she lived.
Keating appeared in Portsmouth Crown Court, Hants, and石川 through his actions that some might find alarming. He explained that his mention of 'kidnap' in a video was nothing more than him being a 'joker,' stating it was just 'stupid' behavior.
He claimed he couldn't fathom that the influencer, surrounded by the tropical paradise of Bali, would take his threats seriously, especially given his Instagram page was filled with jokes from the comedy movie Anchorman. Instead, he argued she was the one attempting to capture his attention.
The court heard that Keating had been bombarding the influencer with messages before purchasing a one-way ticket to Bali in January 2023 to visit her. Intimate conversations included a message where he expressed his desire to 'go 50 Shades of Grey on you.'
During trial proceedings, Keating elaborated on one video he sent, which mentioned 'the Spartan Queen kidnap show' – a nickname he had given the influencer. According to him, it was just another instance of his 'joking around.'
'I was just messing around really,' he said, admitting his actions were foolish. 'The kidnap came from when I said "I want to come to Bali and spend the rest of my life with you, if that means kidnap then so be it," because of the context of my Instagram which has Ron Burgundy jokes I could not for the life of me tell she would take any of this seriously, the whole kidnap thing.'
The American traveler, who goes by The Wayfarer on Instagram, boasts over 100,000 followers. The court has previously heard that she labeled Keating as 'someone who is deeply obsessed' and 'mentally ill' following his arrival on the island in January 2023. During her testimony, she described the trauma of being hunted like prey and her subsequent escape to Laos.
Keating, on the other hand, insisted his actions were nothing more than a 'playful, ridiculous' attempt to win the influencer's affection. He claimed it was the influencer who had been desperately seeking his attention, orchestrating the situation to keep it going.
He justified his presence in Bali by stating, 'I thought this girl understood me. She got me to Bali, I went to make myself available to her. I had no intention of causing her any harm at all, I thought she was looking for something serious.'
Interestingly, after the influencer made a video about her stalker, Keating claimed he received threats and was forced to leave the island himself. The traffic worker, who was residing in his sister's garage in Havant, Hampshire, during the alleged encounters, maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of stalking involving serious alarm or distress.
It's important to note that this case may not be the same one referred to in two separate events mentioned in search results. In one instance, a British man, Rob Keating, was found guilty of stalking involving threats to rape a woman and sending her disturbing images, but this case does not involve an American travel influencer living in Bali[2]. Another incident involved an American travel influencer living in Bali claiming she was used as bait by local police to catch a British stalker, but there's no mention of the man in question, Rob Keating, in this account [1].
The trial continues.
[1] [Source 1][2] [Source 2]
- Rob Keating, a British man, defends his actions towards an American travel influencer in Bali, stating they were playful and joke-oriented, despite allegations of stalking.
- Social media evidence, including videos and emails, has played a significant role in the ongoing trial, as well as the influencer's testimony about feeling hunted and traumatized.
- Amidst the controversy, Keating's Instagram page, filled with comedy references, stands as a key piece of context in understanding his seemingly inappropriate behavior.
- In a surprising twist, both parties seemed to have experienced negative consequences following the public release of the events. The influencer fled to Laos, while Keating asserted he was forced to leave Bali due to threats received after his actions became public.
- The case, which centers around love-and-dating, relationships, and social media, has raised questions about the boundaries of playful flirtation and when it crosses the line into crime-and-justice territory. General news outlets have covered the trial, with some confusion as it doesn't seem to correlate precisely with other reported cases involving Rob Keating.
