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On Jan. 30, a 3-year-old neighbor of tennis star Anna Kournikova found a nude, homeless man swimming in her family's backyard pool in Florida. The man swam across Biscayne Bay in an attempt to get close to the celebrity, but apparently was unable to gain entrance to Kournikova's house. After the child's mother telephoned police, the man was arrested and charged with -- among other things -- stalking, lewd or lascivious battery on a child.
This case is the latest in a long history of incidents in which a prominent person or celebrity was stalked by a mentally disturbed individual. Although not all stalkers set out to harm their target, the fact that enough of them have -- and do -- makes stalking a serious threat. In 1881, U.S. President James Garfield was assassinated by Charles Julius Guiteau, a lawyer with a history of mental illness. In more recent years, director Steven Spielberg, musicians John Lennon and George Harrison and tennis player Monika Seles all were targeted by stalkers -- fatally, of course, in Lennon's case. Additionally, CEOs of high-profile corporations often are targeted by mentally disturbed individuals.
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