Ashanti's stalker of THIRTEEN years Devar Hurd found guilty
Ashanti's stalker has been found guilty, following 13 years of reportedly 'terrorizing' the singer.
Devar Hurd, 37, was given the verdict in a New York courtroom Friday, reported TMZ.
He was found guilty of felony 2nd degree stalking and will remain in jail, where he has been since his arrest in 2013, when he violated a restraining order by taking a picture with her unknowing sister.
Hurd may get an additional 1.5 to four years when he is sentenced later this month.
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Ashanti's stalker Devar Hurd (pictured) Friday in court has been found guilty of harassment following 13 years of reportedly 'terrorizing' the singer. Hurd may get an additional 1.5 to four years when he is sentenced later this month
The 37-year-old (pictured in court Friday) was representing himself and in a closing statement he told the jury that 'sending sexually explicit stuff was not a crime'
In his closing statement, the 37-year-old told the jury that 'sending sexually explicit stuff was not a crime' and that 'excessive tweeting was not stalking'.
He also added that the singer could've simply avoided him by hitting 'block', according to TMZ.
Ashanti wasn't present at the verdict hearing.
Hurd could have pleaded guilty in this latest trial and been automatically released for time served, but instead he decided to take the case all the way to trial - perhaps to torture Ashanti on the stand yet again.
On Wednesday, the singer had to face a cross-examination from Hurd, who was representing himself, as he confronted her with the lewd text messages and tweets he had sent her.
When he demanded Ashanti explain why he's facing a felony stalking charge for tweeting gross messages to her in 2013, the 35-year-old singer responded: 'You continuously tweeted over and over again disgusting, derogatory, disrespectful things to me after you had already gone to jail for doing the same thing. I wish you to stop. I just wish you to stop.'
Ashanti leaves Manhattan court on Wednesday after testifying against her alleged stalker, 37-year-old Devar Hurd
Hurd is representing himself in the case and mercilessly cross-examined his alleged victim on the stand today, confronting her yet again with lewd text messages he has sent to her
Hurd claims that the two had a romantic relationship, and that the fact Ashanti never blocked him on Twitter is proof that he's not guilty.
At one point, he even read out some of the tweets that he sent her, including one which read: 'eating p**** from the back tastes better from a flight to Russia'.
Ashanti said that she did indeed remember the message and found it 'disgusting'.
Her stalker then said, 'I know how you are when it comes to our sex life ... us f****** is very emotional on both ends.'
Ashanti didn't respond to the comment, instead closing her eyes and crossing her arms in silence.
He also slut-shamed the singer, pointing to her risque performances at concerts.
'You do lap dances for your performances, correct?' he asked. 'I don't have a problem with it, I'm just saying...'
Ashanti is escorted off the stand after testifying on Wednesday. Her stalker has claimed that the two were in a romantic relationship
Ashanti's stalker could have pleaded guilty in the case and been automatically released for time served, but instead he decided to take the case all the way to trial. Above, Ashanti leaving court on Wednesday
Ashanti's mother Tina Douglas appeared in court Wednesday to support her daughter. Hurd was previously sentenced to jail time in 2009 for sending Tina Douglas a picture of himself masturbating
During opening statements, Hurd told the jury that there's not 'a lick of evidence' that Ashanti told him to stop contacting her.
He also claimed the district attorney 'was like a lot of dirty politicians' who will 'do anything' to get votes.
'They're going to flat-out just lie to you with a straight face,' Hurd said.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Carolina Holderness described Hurd's stalking as a 'culmination of a pattern of relentless pursuit by this defendant stretching back almost a decade'.
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Share'These were fantasies he knew were disgusting, disturbing and frightening to the family,' Holderness said. 'What he did was to terrify her.'
Hurd first went to jail for harassing Ashanti in 2009, when a jury found him guilty of sending pictures of himself masturbating to the singer's mother.
He faced trial again in 2014, when he continued to send inappropriate messages to Ashanti and even posed for a picture with her sister, who didn't know what he looked like.
However, the case went to mistrial then when a juror fell ill during deliberations. The case was tried again the following year, but the jury deadlocked on the felony stalking charge and it was called a mistrial again.
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