A temporary restraining order on behalf of Apple has been filed against Rakesh “Rocky” Sharma, a 41 year-old man from San Francisco. Santa Clara County Superior Court in California determined that Sharma poses a potential threat to the corporation and its employees – namely CEO Tim Cook, who Sharma has obsessively expressed his romantic interest in.
Sharma shared sexually explicit pictures directly with Cook on Twitter, and began making veiled threats against him and Apple employees when he couldn’t get in touch. He then tried to get into Cook’s home and Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, on multiple occasions. The documents provided to the court in support of the restraining order request also mention that Sharma has threatened the use of firearms.
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While the tech company and its top executive have yet to comment, uncovered court documents reveal that Apple’s security staff consider Sharma an “aggressive” stalker. His “erratic, threatening and bizarre behavior” toward Apple employees now stretches nearly five months.
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The order was issued on February 13. Sharma and lawyers for Apple will have their next hearing on March 3, when the restraining order ends, to determine if it needs to be extended further.
Dave Gershgorn of OneZero shared details of the claims in the court documents, publicized just over a week after a judge supported Apple in their claims. All digitized information on the filings, and other litigation involving the tech giant in the court’s jurisdiction, became available online pursuant to a court order, setting a new precedent.
Apple Global Security Specialist William Burns testified that Sharma called the company left two voicemails on September 25 and October 2, 2019 that were “disturbing.” He also told the court about how they have documented at least two attempts since December 2019 in which Sharma has attempted to enter Cook’s private residence. On at least one occasion, the alleged stalker supposedly try to deliver flowers and champagne to the out tech executive.
“Shortly thereafter, Mr. Sharma continued to tag the Apple executive on his Twitter account, which included sexualized and inappropriate photos of Mr. Sharma with reference to the Apple executive,” his documented testimony reads.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has a stalker who has gotten onto his property TWICE and won't stop contacting him/ other Apple employees, per court filings and a testimony pic.twitter.com/PaQulBpMhu
— Dave Gershgorn (@davegershgorn) February 20, 2020
Sharma claimed in some of his documented communication with Apple staff that employees laughed at him following his hospitalization for a sexual assault, and he made clear that he knows the location where other Apple executives reside. In one of his calls to Apple’s technical support line in attempts to reach Cook, he allegedly said “I don’t use ammunition but I know people who do.”
Lawyers for the company then sent Sharma a cease and desist letter, but that evidently did not deter him. In emails with employees of the company in San Francisco, he alleges that the letter is the company’s effort to protect his sexual abuser. Cult of Mac reports that in his testimony, Burns indicated that the person in question “was never an Apple employee.”
Sharma also supposedly claimed that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is his attorney in the matter.
While the order is in effect, Sharma cannot have any firearms. He also cannot be in proximity of 200 feet or less to Burns, Cook, or any members of the executive team. The order also extends to Cook’s Palo Alto residence and the company’s Apple Park, Apple Campus in Cupertino, or any other corporate locations in California.