A former U.S. Navy captain convicted of cyberstalking and identity theft for posing as his ex-girlfriend online and posting photographs of her on the internet without her knowledge or consent was sentenced Friday to just over three years in federal prison. Theodore E. Essenfeld, the former commanding officer of the San Diego-based USS Pearl Harbor, was convicted by a San Diego federal jury earlier this year in connection with impersonating the victim on social media and posting photos she had privately shared with him during their relationship. The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that in order to make the fake accounts appear authentic, Essenfeld, 53, included the victim’s true name on the social media accounts, as well as other genuine information like her hometown, educational background and work history. Over the course of 15 months, Essenfeld created a fake Facebook account and posed as the victim in Facebook dating groups and on a LinkedIn account created under her name, he falsely advertised that she was a professional pole dancer. “… Essenfeld posted erotic and sexually explicit content to the Facebook account, as well as graphic media files or ‘memes,’ many of which were sexually demeaning to women,” the prosecutor’s office said in a news release that went out on Friday. “Essenfeld linked the imposter Facebook and LinkedIn accounts to the victim’s prospective employer by following and engaging with the prospective employer’s social media accounts,” the news release continued. “He also linked the fake accounts to other aspects of the victim’s life by ‘liking’ posts by her former co-workers, her university, the U.S. Navy, and fitness studios she previously attended.” One of the fake social media pages was discovered by a relative of the victim, prompting the investigation into Essenfeld. The imposter Facebook account eventually garnered more than 1,200 friends, officials said, and after its discovery, it was reported to the social-media giant initially refused to “take down the account because it appeared more authentic than the victim’s actual account due to the volume of images and level of Essenfeld’s engagement on the platform,” authorities said. “Even after Essenfeld became aware of the investigation,” prosecutors said, “and he was arrested and released on bond, he continued his cybercrime spree by creating new ‘fan club’ pages on Wikipedia and WikiAlpha, and ‘fan club’ accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.” Because of the creation of the fan-club accounts, U.S. District Judge Robert Huie ordered Essenfeld’s bond to be revoked before his trial. According to the prosecution’s sentencing papers, “Essenfeld’s goal [was] to punish and hurt [the victim] for their breakup.” Huie sentenced Essenfeld on Friday to 37 months in prison. Along with commanding the USS Pearl Harbor as part of his 34-year Naval career, he was “weeks away” from taking command of the USS San Diego when he was arrested, according to a sentencing memorandum from his defense attorney, Kerry Armstrong. People suspicious of cyberstalking by an active-duty service member can contact the following anonymous tip lines: Navy and Marines Army Air Force