Haverford College professor Guangtian Ha pleaded not guilty to a federal cyberstalking charge on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and will remain in custody until trial.
Magistrate Judge Pamela Carlos ordered Ha detained after finding that his alleged posts calling for the "extermination" of Jewish people posed a threat, not just to the specific victims, but to the wider community, The Bi-College News reported.
Ha, an assistant professor of religion, was arrested Oct. 6 by Haverford Township Police with assistance from the FBI. He is accused of cyberstalking a colleague and the colleague's family, including three minor children, over seven months through multiple anonymous X accounts. Prosecutors said the posts included antisemitic slurs, Nazi language, the victim's home address, and an infant child's name, according to The Bi-College News, citing court documents.
The arraignment and detention hearing took place at the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse in Center City Philadelphia. Ha entered a not-guilty plea to one count of cyberstalking.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Carissimi argued for pretrial detention, citing a significant flight risk and a lack of resources to monitor Ha's internet activity.
Prosecutors also pointed to bodycam footage in which Ha allegedly admitted to being the person with "hands on keyboard" when the posts were sent, Main Line Media News reported. Ha, a lawful permanent resident, also allegedly suggested to his wife on that footage that they might have to leave the country, prosecutors said.
Defense attorney Susan Lin argued Ha posed a danger only to his specific victims, not the broader community. She proposed restricting Ha from the Haverford area and housing him with an associate in Baltimore while awaiting trial.
Seven Haverford professors and a family friend attended the hearing. David Harrington Watt, a Haverford professor of Quaker Studies who teaches classes on antisemitism, provided a character statement. He called it "painful" to read the posts allegedly made by Ha. Ahmet Tekelioglu, executive director of CAIR-Philadelphia, also testified on Ha's behalf.
Watt called Ha "a valued colleague, a friend" and said the charges are "very serious," according to The Bi-College News.
Carlos rejected the defense's proposal. She ruled that the alleged posts, which prosecutors said totaled about 50 messages sent from four anonymous accounts, showed Ha would threaten the wider community if released.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf called the alleged conduct "not only repugnant, but criminal" in a statement.
Ha had been on sabbatical this academic year. Haverford College President Wendy Raymond placed him on administrative leave and barred him from campus after the arrest. If convicted, Ha faces up to five years in prison. No new court dates had been set as of Oct. 18.
