Nicole Strickland – Victim Impact Statement 1. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to finally have my voice heard after six years of being tormented by my husband’s girlfriend, Allison Burchett, and my husband, Michael Strickland, and tell how their actions have impacted me and my life. This opportunity means a lot to me. I have never been good at public speaking and I ask for your patience as I try to get through this. 2. Soon after our divorce action began, my nightmare began. It began with Allison and Michael knowing everywhere I was, and often showing up at those places; sometimes video-taping me right in front of our children. I learned that they had placed a tracking device on my car. As a result Allison was able to know exactly where I was any time she wanted. I also began to suspect that they were somehow learning about my communications with my attorneys. 3. It soon escalated to me being followed almost everywhere I went, with their friends or PI’s taking pictures of me constantly. It was not long until I could no longer even sit on my porch because a man had taken pictures of me in my backyard. For quite a while, many of my friends and family members could not believe that these things were happening to me and thought I was crazy. There were times when I wondered if I was losing my mind as well. 4. Adding to the stress that I was already living under day-in and day-out by being harassed, stalked and followed by Allison, shortly after our divorce was filed, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I have undergone 14 surgeries as a result of my cancer diagnosis. Allison and Michael continued their actions all while they knew that I had cancer and was fighting for my life. They even convinced others I never had breast cancer and my oldest son still believes that lie to this day. What kind of person does that? 5. During this period of time, they gained access to photographs that were on my cell phone. Some of those photographs were pictures I had taken of my breasts before and after my mastectomy and other surgeries related to my breast cancer. Allison posted these pictures on my Facebook page. Allison also sent these pictures to all of my friends, and my friends’ friends, via Facebook. My father, nephews, niece, high school friends, my children’s friends and Webb School parents all saw them. 6. After they posted these stolen images and messages, I was so ashamed I did not want to leave my house. I felt that I could no longer attend Webb School functions and was unable to go on family vacations because I could not look my niece and nephews in the eyes. In addition to affecting me mentally and emotionally, the trauma I experienced of having my private photographs displayed to the world began to affect me physically as well. I began vomiting; I could not keep anything down. 7. Next I discovered that they had set up online access to my SunTrust bank account. I had never set up online banking for my account. They set up the online banking by creating a fake email address that was similar to my real email address. This gave them access to all of my banking records without me knowing it because all communications from SunTrust bank went to them, not to me. 8. With this access to my account, they made a number of purchases. Some of those purchases were intended to make me look like a bad person and a bad parent. Those purchases included ordering all available channels offered by Direct TV, including 18 pornography channels. The monthly cost for these added channels was approximately $700.00 a month. They also sent funds from my account to third parties, all without my knowledge. 9. I learned that they were able to know where I was and could show up at those places, or have someone show up and take pictures of me and my son. They were able to do this because, by setting up the online access to my SunTrust bank account, they were able to see, in “real-time,” where I was by the location of debits I was making from my account. Learning that someone was accessing my accounts and how extensive their use of my account was, led to more vomiting. 10. After my private photographs had been posted on Facebook, I learned from Cellular Sales/Verizon Wireless, my cell provider, that a man and woman had gone to a Cellular Sales store and were able to get information about my account. I knew then that the person that posted my pictures on Facebook also had access to everything else on my cell phone. 11. When I learned of this continuing invasion of yet another aspect of my life, my vomiting continued to the point that I lost so much weight that at 5 foot 8 inches tall, I weighed only 100 pounds. I was referred to a specialist and was hospitalized for a very serious medical condition caused by the continued vomiting. I was told that tests showed that the entire inside surface of my stomach was black. Also as a result of the sudden and drastic weight loss, I suffered nerve problems in my legs, arms and feet. To this day, I still have the sensation of needles pricking my toes and have difficulty walking because of the atrophy of the muscles in my legs. My legs and arms are so thin and lacking in muscle tone, I am embarrassed to wear anything but long sleeves, and I can no longer comfortably wear a dress or shorts. 12. In addition to these horrible invasions into my private life, they also gained access to my mother’s KUB account, which is the same account for my electricity. After gaining access to the KUB account, they had mine and my 75-year-old mother’s electricity cut off. I learned of this when I pulled into my driveway at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon and my garage door would not open. I had less than 30 minutes to get to KUB in order get the electricity turned back on before the offices closed because we would have been left with no electricity until the following Monday. 13. They also used my personal identifying information to set up online access to my Walgreens prescription purchases, and to gain access to my credit report from two different credit reporting agencies. 14. Even after discovering all that Allison has done to me: • Getting into my bank account, credit reports, credit cards, emails, Direct TV account, accessing my Wifi, Walgreens prescriptions, Verizon and accounts; • Following me and hiring private investigators to follow me; • Placing a tracking device on my car; • Harassing my 75 year old mother and father; KUB I still cannot be sure that I have discovered all of the ways she stole my identity and invaded my privacy. For years, I have had no privacy and I don’t know whether I will ever stop feeling like I am being watched or that my private information is safe. 15. All of this has changed my life forever. My physical health has been so damaged by their actions that my doctor has advised me that I may be disabled. I am not ready to accept that right now and I hope that I can regain at least some of what I have lost physically. If I am not able to do that, I fear that I may have no choice but to go on disability. 16. I can no longer use email or online services for anything. I cannot go to any high school reunions for fear of running into a classmate that saw my private photos posted on Facebook; I still don’t sit on my back porch, and I still isolate myself and have a very hard time trusting anyone. 17. Sadly, I doubt whether Allison will learn anything from this. After Allison bonded out on the charges she is facing in this case, she continued some of these same actions against me and others. What kind of person does that? 18. I believe that Allison Burchett is a cruel, self-centered and dangerous person. I believe that she lacks the moral compass necessary to monitor her own behavior. I just hope that the State keeps close tabs on her so that if and when she repeats this behavior against me or anyone else, you throw the book at her and that she spends a long time in jail.