Global Courant
After years of judges dismissing cases against him, a San Francisco man was convicted of stalking and harassing women in what authorities called a “pattern of predatory behavior.”
Bill Gene Hobbs, 34, will serve two and a half years in prison, then three years in state prison, and must register as a sex offender. Hobbs, charged with stalking, groping and pursuing women, was convicted in May of misdemeanor, false imprisonment, eight misdemeanor batteries, sexual assault and assault.
Hobbs interrupted a victim speaking at his sentencing on Thursday, telling her to “get over yourself,” The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“Mr. Hobbs’ verdict today delivers justice to the victims and shows how seriously the court took this case and each of their stories,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a June 8 statement. “Through the victims’ courageous testimony and their willingness to share their stories, we were able to demonstrate a clear pattern of predatory behavior and the full impact of his criminal behavior on the victims. This sentence brings us one step closer to reaching our purpose of public safety.”
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Bill Gene Hobbs has been sentenced to a total of five and a half years in prison for stalking and harassing women. (Barbara Munker/photo alliance and Facebook)
Hobbs had six priors in San Francisco dating back to 2017 — each of whom was fired “in the interest of the public,” according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
Two years prior to Hobbs’ sentencing, a judge dismissed a case accusing him of stalking a 15-year-old girl.
Hobbs, who is six feet tall and has the word “EVIL” tattooed on four fingers on one hand, was accused of following the girl for half an hour, grabbing her and telling her they belonged together . According to a 2021 report from The San Francisco Chronicle, she reportedly ran to hide in a bookstore, where she called her father for help.
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“The man is a predator,” the girl’s father, Blaise Zerega, told the Chronicle at the time.
Hobbs, who has the word “EVIL” tattooed on his fingers, was accused of following a teenage girl, grabbing her and telling her they belonged together. (Facebook)
He recalled the moment when Hobbs was arrested outside the bookshop after the incident involving his daughter. The suspect had yelled, “I’m going to fuck you!” in Zerega’s face.
Hobbs’ public defender, Nitin Sapra, told the outlet at the time that another judge had deemed Hobbs incompetent to stand trial and refused to remand the suspect in custody.
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In the following years, more women came forward against Hobbs, accusing him of stalking, harassment and assault.
One victim, Karina S., who read a statement aloud in court on Thursday, said Hobbs followed her as she jogged through Golden Gate Park, “smiling like a Cheshire cat and staring at me as I screamed to get away “, according to the Chronicle. She said the encounter “completely changed her life,” and she’s needed a guard dog and pepper spray ever since.
Bill Gene Hobbs initially had six previous criminal cases against him dismissed in San Francisco. (Facebook)
Hobbs reportedly interrupted the victim as she read her statement in court, saying, “It wasn’t assault!”
“Someone tapped you on the shoulder and it ruined your life! Wow, get over yourself!” he said, according to the Chronicle. He later added when the victim said Hobbs treated her like a piece of prey, “I’m a vegetarian!”
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Assistant District Attorney Brittney Delgado said in a statement Thursday that the case “demonstrated the importance of reporting illegal behavior to the police, however unlikely it may seem at the time to catch a perpetrator.”
“It was because of the individual efforts of these victims to take pictures of the defendant in real time that the investigations were able to be linked together to show that these were not isolated incidents and, in fact, a pattern of robbery against young women, perpetuated.” and deliberately carried out against vulnerable, unsuspecting victims,” she said.
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants.
