Palin wins restraining orders against stalkers

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin won another round in court on Monday against a Pennsylvania teenager accused of stalking the outspoken conservative, telling a judge, "I fear for my friends' and for my family's safety."

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The three-hour Anchorage court hearing, with Palin and her antagonists testifying by telephone, ended with the judge renewing a previous restraining order against Shawn Christy, 19, and issuing a similar order against his father, Craig.

Shawn Christy admitted in court to having threatened to rape Palin but has denied her allegations he menaced her daughters. He also admitted sending Palin numerous emails and gifts, and to traveling to Anchorage earlier this year.

'Very bizarre allegations'
Palin testified by phone that she believed Shawn Christy was sending out a clear signal when he made a one-day visit to Alaska on her birthday in February. She also said she feared Christy's parents because of their contentions that Palin had a sexting relationship with the teen in 2009.

"I believe when he traveled to Alaska on my birthday, he did that so he could prove that he had the means to do so," she said. "I believe that his and his parents' repeated contact with those close to me to get me to respond to their false and very, very bizarre allegations constitutes a — obviously, a problem — on their end."

Craig Christy admitted to making more than two dozen early morning phone calls to Palin's parents over a two-day period in March. He also acknowledged organizing a support group for his son to stage protests at events attended by Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, and he maintains a Facebook page with numerous anti-Palin messages.

State Superior Court Magistrate Jonathon Lack said he found the repeated telephone calls to Palin's parents, some of them recorded and played at the hearing, to be "very disturbing."