Rob Keating: Man sentenced after stalking and following travel influencer to Bali, kidnap threats

A man has been sentenced after stalking an influencer and following her to Bali in a plot to kidnap her.

West Sussex man Rob Keating, 40, was convicted of two counts of stalking involving fear of violence at Portsmouth Crown Court in May.

Keating had sent hundreds of emails and dozens of videos to American influencer Alexander Saper, also known to her 164k followers as The Wayfaress.

The emails and videos, according to the court, grew increasingly obsessive and sexual in nature over a year-long window.

In one email, the 40-year-old said he loved Ms Saper and would do “whatever it takes” to be with her.

“If that involves kidnapping then so be it,” he added.

In January 2023, the Brit boarded a flight to Bali, where Ms Saper was living, in a plot to meet the 33-year-old.

“You’re never getting rid of me,” the 40-year-old messaged Saper upon his arrival into Indonesia.

Keating is also said to have sent the influencer a photo of a body inside a suitcase, alongside videos of him threatening to do the same to her.

“Either you agree to meet me or I have a suitcase you can fit in — either way you are getting ‘relationshipped’ or kidnapped,” he told Ms Saper, according to court documents.

A spokesperson for UK Police told Portsmouth Crown Court that Keating’s arrival into Indonesia left the influencer terrified for her life.

“After the woman’s friends saw Keating in person close to her address, the woman fled to a friend’s address and contacted local police before later leaving the country fearing for her safety,” they said.

Ms Saper also reported Keating’s concerning conduct to the UK and US embassies in Indonesia.

Keating was arrested on the stalking charges on arriving back to Gatwick Airport in March 2023, where police discovered rope inside his suitcase.

While police investigations continued, Keating resumed messaging the influencer with screenshots of flights to Bali, captioned “Round Two”.

Ms Sapers read a lengthy victim impact statement to the court on Monday, explaining the “devastating” impact Keating’s offending had on her life.

“For years, I built a social media and travel brand from nothing — a positive space where women could feel empowered and safe in the world . . . I lived and worked according to those beliefs, until they were shattered by a stranger who found me online,” she said.

“Rob knew I was terrified and wanted to be left alone. But he didn’t care, he refused to take no for an answer.”

In a press release, Rachel Robertson, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Keating’s offending was “deeply distressing”.

“His messages contained explicit threats to kidnap and implicit threats to rape and murder her,” she said.

“This type of offence is frightening for victims, forcing them to change their routines — in Ms Saper’s case, she fled her home in fear of her life..

“It is vital that women and girls feel safe when going about their lives.”

Keating was determined to be suffering from “grandiose delusions” at the time of the offences and was sentenced to a hospital order on Monday.

An indefinite restraining order was also granted, barring Keating from ever contacting Ms Saper.