Catholic nun faced ‘vulgar’ cyberstalking by man posing as priest, Louisiana cops say

A Catholic nun was the target of a yearslong cyberstalking campaign orchestrated by a man she met at a monastery, according to investigators in Louisiana.

The suspect, John William Modler, Jr., was captured in Texas and faces a felony charge of cyberstalking/electronic mail, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 24 news release. St. Landry Parish is about a 60-mile drive east from Baton Rouge.

“This investigation initiated in May 2024 when a Sister with the Catholic Church reported the receipt of very vulgar and improper emails allegedly received from Modler since 2018,” St. Landry Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz said in the release.

“Modler was at a monastery in the St. Landry Parish area at the same time as the complainant and upon their leaving, allegedly used deceitful tactics to obtain the location of the Sister as she traveled.”

More than 100 emails show 57-year-old Modler’s tactics, including assuming an alias while “posing as a priest,” officials said.

The investigation revealed “multiple active arrest warrants from multiple states” linking Modler to larceny and fraud, officials said.

He lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, but was captured in Texas and extradited to Louisiana, officials said. Details of his capture, including a location, were not revealed.