Minnesota Woman’s Online Friend Turned Out To Be Her Ex-husband

A Minnesota woman found out that you can’t ever be too sure about who you’re actually talking to on the internet. She discovered the man she’d been communicating with online for a year was actually her ex-husband.

She shared many intimate details about her personal life and struggles with her ex-husband with a man she thought she could trust. Brian Matthew Cornelius created a fake profile under the name of “Aaron Carpenter” and fooled his ex-wife for a year.

Cornelius even went as far as observing her home through a webcam. The 36-year-old also managed to convince his ex-wife to skip a court appearance in which she was seeking an order for protection against him.

The woman eventually put the pieces together when Cornelius started showing up to places she told “Carpenter” she would be. She confronted her ex-husband and he admitted to using images he found online to fill out his fake profile.

When she went to the police station, she told the officers that she felt “terrorized by Cornelius,” and is “constantly fearful that he is watching her.”

Cornelius is charged with two counts of gross misdemeanor stalking and has to appear in court next month.

West St. Paul Police Investigator Shawna Curtis said that it’s not uncommon for men who are estranged to keep an eye on their former partners or try to make contact online.

“Sometimes if they’re that obsessive, that’s how they’re getting around to harassing or stalking or monitoring,” Curtis said.

Cornelius and the woman were married for 11 years and have two children together. They have fought in court many times over custody issues.

Do you think that the woman should have discovered that “Aaron Carpenter” was her ex-husband sooner? Or do you think she made an honest mistake?

[Image via Shuttershock]