One woman is breathing a sigh of relief today, now that a man accused of harassing her over a number of years and also sending her 71 threatening Facebook messages over the last three months, is now in custody, held on $250,000 bond.

27 year-old Shane Will was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two misdemeanor counts and 69 felony counts of privacy in communications. Deputy Missoula County Attorney Suzy Boylan explains.

"Apparently, he's been communicating with her for a number of years," Boylan said. "There have been a couple of incidents that have escalated the number of violent and threatening nature of the messages he was sending her."

Boylan defines the charge of 'privacy in communications.'

"Knowing with the purpose to terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass, annoy or offend," she said. "The person communicates via telephone or email and uses obscene, lewd or profane language, suggests a lewd or lascivious act or threatens to inflict injury or physical harm to the person or property of the person."

Boylan said the first two counts are misdemeanors and carry time in the Missoula County Jail, however, the other 69 counts are felonies and carry a possible term of up to five years per count, for a total of up to 345 years in prison.

KGVO News is including the charging documents filed against the defendant, but be warned that the texts allegedly sent to the victim are of a highly violent and offensive nature, and that reader discretion is advised.

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