MA Man Sentenced for Bringing a Woman to Maine Against Her Will

A Massachusetts man who kidnapped his girlfriend, violated a protection order, and brought her to Maine is sentenced to prison.

The Defendant Faced Multiple Charges in Maine

Stephen Pilson, 56, of Brighton, Massachusetts is sentenced to 156 months (13 years) in prison for kidnapping and 50 months for interstate violation of a protection order, with the sentences to be run concurrently. He will also serve four years of supervised release. Pilson received a guilty verdict on December 21, 2023.

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The details of this case are chilling. It was in December 2019 when Pilson drove the victim, with whom he had a relationship, from Massachusetts to Maine against her will. According to the United States Attorney's Office District of Maine, Pilson drank heavily throughout the trip and told the victim they were headed to Canada, where she would die. He tied the victim to the vehicle's gear shirt with her scarf and struck her when she tried to escape. On I-95 near Arundel, the victim attempted to open the door while the car was traveling at high speeds. After Pilson pulled over, she tried to remove the vehicle's keys, breaking the key off in the ignition before fleeing along the highway, with Pilson chasing her. Several concerned motorists called 911 and alerted the Maine State Police, who used a police K-9 to track Pilson in the woods.

Before His Arrival in Maine, Pilson Was in Court For a Nearly Identical Crime

Three days before the kidnapping, Pilson had pleaded guilty in a Massachusetts courtroom to five charges, including kidnapping the same victim, for which he was sentenced to time served and probation. A no-contact order was also imposed, prohibiting him from contacting the victim. The Federal jury in Portland, Maine found Pilson guilty of interstate violation of a protection order for violating the Massachusetts order.

Once in Prison, Pilson Tried to Get the Victim to Drop the Charges

Sadly, the situation didn't end when Pilson was sent to jail after his arrest in Maine. He tried to obstruct justice by convincing the victim to recant her statement to the police and cease cooperating with the investigation. In a recorded call Pilson made from the jail, he told her to write to prosecutors to say that she wasn't kidnapped and that she wanted the charges dropped. During the call, Pilson said that if she didn't write the letter, he would kill himself because he couldn't face years in prison.

At Pilson's sentencing, Judge Levy commented that the call proved the defendant was willing to do 'whatever it takes to another person to get his way.'

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available via the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence helping at 1-866-834-HELP (4357).