Taylor Swift stalker held without bail for violating protective order

Taylor Swift attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024. Photo / Getty Images

A Seattle man who police say has been stalking and harassing Taylor Swift was ordered held without bail yesterday after he was arrested three times in recent days in front of the pop star’s home in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood.

David Crowe, 33, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on a misdemeanour charge of second-degree criminal contempt, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office. He was also ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam.

Prosecutors said Crowe violated a protective order issued on Thursday mandating he stay away from Swift and her home and refrain from any communication with her.

Crowe was arrested Thursday by officers responding to complaints of an emotionally disturbed man acting erratically near Swift’s townhouse. He was arraigned and issued the protection order, but a short time later he was arrested again near Swift’s residence.

Court documents say an unidentified security worker had spotted Crowe near the singer’s home about 30 times since November 25. Crowe was asked about 10 times not to approach the building or to leave, according to prosecutors.

New York County Defender Services, which is representing Crowe, declined to comment yesterday. “We have no additional statement,” spokeswoman Lupe Todd-Medina wrote in an email. “We rely on the statements made in court today.”

Taylor Swift performs during her Eras Tour in Nashville, Tennessee on May 5, 2023. Photo / AP

Swift’s Manhattan townhouse has been the scene of several break-ins when Swift wasn’t there, including by some who were identified as stalkers.

The billionaire singer has faced issues with stalkers in the past, leading organisers of her worldwide Eras tour to utilise facial recognition software.

The recordings of attendees were sent 3200km away to a command centre in Nashville and cross-checked against a database of hundreds of known stalkers, according to Rolling Stone.

In 2018, a stalker broke into Swift’s New York City home, where police found the 22-year-old asleep. He was arrested on charges of stalking, burglary, criminal mischief and trespassing.