In March 2007, colleagues and family members of Albert W. Hsu, a prominent businessman and investment officer, were stunned when police arrested him for impersonating his mistress on the Internet and posting an ad on an adult Web site, inviting readers to abduct and rape her. The investigation into this case began on Feb. 26, 2007, when Donna Smith (a pseudonym) notified the New Canaan Police Department, in Connecticut, about the ad and provided investigators with a link that led them to Collarme.com, a bondage and fetish site that claims to be the "largest BDSM community on the planet."
The ad in question contained the woman’s photograph, personal contact information, home and work addresses, motor vehicle license plate number and information on her daily routines. The ad said Donna had a fantasy in which she wanted to be "kidnapped and raped." The ad also stated that potential respondents should not contact her ahead of time, because it would "ruin the fantasy."
"I want a real-life abduction and rape scene," the advertisement read. "Only those who can deliver on my extreme desires need apply."
Investigators were able to trace the ad to a computer owned by 43-year-old Albert W. Hsu, a local resident of New Canaan. On March 2, 2007, police arrested Hsu and charged him with trafficking in personal identifying information, attempted kidnapping-first degree, attempted sexual assault-third degree, reckless endangerment-first degree, criminal impersonation, and harassment-second degree. Hsu’s bond was set at $750,000.
Hsu’s business profile on Zoominfo.com states that he is married with two teenage children and is co-founder, managing director and chief investment officer of Anchor Point Capital, LLC (APC). According to his profile, Hsu graduated from Bronx High School of Science in New York City and attended the University of New York at Albany in 1984, where he obtained a B.S. in economics. The profile also states that prior to founding APC, Hsu was the U.S. investment officer for the Atlantic Philanthropies, a $4 billion, limited-life foundation established by Charles Feeney, one of the founders of Duty Free Shops. At one point, the foundation had $8 billion in assets before Mr. Feeney articulated his desire to spend down all the foundation’s assets. Hsu was responsible for all U.S.-based investments. In addition, Hsu's online bio notes that he serves on the board of trustees and the investment committee for the YMCA Retirement Fund, which is the largest nonprofit pension fund in the U.S. with $4.5 billion in assets and 85 years old. He has been chair of the New Canaan Red Cross for three years. Hsu has served on the board of trustees of the Vanderbilt YMCA as vice president for Pension Group East and as vice president of the Futures Industry Association’s Research Division.
A search of the social networking Web site MySpace.com resulted in several profiles allegedly belonging to Hsu. A now-defunct profile on the site contained his photo and listed his income as "$250,000 and higher." There were two family members listed as "friends" on his profile and his last login was listed as Feb. 22, 2007.
During Hsu’s criminal arraignment on March 5, 2007, Special Deputy Assistant State's Attorney Ricki Goldstein asked Judge Barbara Bellis to increase the amount of Hsu’s bond to $2 million.
"The defendant set the victim up to be abducted and raped by a complete stranger," Goldstein said. "There is an admission; there was a confession to police officers."
In response, Hsu's lawyer, Deputy Assistant Public Defender Dawn Bradanini, asked that Hsu's bond be lowered to $250,000, based mostly on his prominent reputation and standing in the community.
"He is a prominent individual, and he has been embarrassed by this situation," Bradanini said.
Leaning in favor of the prosecution, Judge Bellis increased Hsu’s bond to $1 million and ordered him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Following his arraignment, Hsu remained behind bars at the Bridgeport Correctional Center. On May 9, 2007, Hsu’s new lawyer, Richard Bello, filed a motion before the court asking that Hsu’s bond be lowered, because his client was suffering from "manic-depressive bipolar disorder."
"Extensive diagnostic tests need to be done to get to the bottom of this medical and psychological problem," Bello said. "When you read his letters of recommendation, when you understand Mr. Hsu's background, he's an individual who is superbright, yet he stands before the court arrested for a horrendous crime and a $1 million bond. How do you understand that?"
Despite opposition from the prosecution, Stamford Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin lowered Hsu’s bond to $400,000, but not before imposing several stipulations, which would require Hsu to undergo 30 days of in-patient treatment at SLS Health in Brewster, N.Y. Hsu was also ordered not to have contact with Donna Smith.
"You can talk the talk. Just because you tell me doesn't mean you accept it," Judge Devlin said. "I want you to understand this, and, one false step, and [the prosecutor] will be back here asking to increase the bond to $1 million or higher, and I'll do it."
Hsu remained free until Oct. 8, 2007, when he pled guilty in state Superior Court to first-degree attempted kidnapping and trafficking in personal identification information. After entering his plea, Hsu was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Per his sentencing guidelines, he was ordered to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and was banned from having any contact with Donna Smith.
Hsu’s case should serve as warning that in today’s society, stalking is no longer limited to trespassing and harassing phone calls. In the virtual world, a stalker can target any victim with just a few clicks of a mouse.