Thread by @m0rgzilla

Adam Herpolsheimer preyed on me when I was 17 and he was 24. He stalked me online. He continually tweeted at me for months; I ignored him. One night after noticing my tweets becoming increasingly dark, lonely, and suicidal, he orchestrated a situation through friend groups 1/

to meet me in person at his house (along w/ others). Throughout the night he manipulated situations to be physically closer to me, secretly oggly my body, touch me, etc. Again: I was a junior in high school & he was 24. He continued to stalk me online. He manipulated more ppl 2/

and orchestrated more situations to see me in person. Eventually I fell into his trap & became infatuated w/ him. I did not know his age until he already had my number & I already felt “connected” to him. He had sex with me when I was 17 & when I expressed that I felt violated 3/

he gaslit me and convinced me I had actually raped him — and for YEARS I believed that I, a 17 year old girl in high school that he brought to his home and coerced into sex, raped him, a 24 year old grown man who was constantly seeking company from a minor. 4/

For years day after day he broke me down. I sobbed, full body shaking & crying, every day multiple times a day for 2+ yrs. I spent every single moment in fear of making him angry, every single moment conscious of needing to present optimally sexually attractive to him or else. 5/

Everything important to me, everything I found identity in, *everything*, he distort and use to manipulate me into doing what he wanted. His combination of emotional, physical, mental abuse on my 17 year old mind was inescapable. 6/

TW sexual violence. He convinced me that performing oral sex on him was actually the least misogynistic way we could be intimate. He coerced me into only having unprotected sex. After a year, he told me he had no idea how many sexual partners he’s had and had also never 7/

I repeat, NEVER had any STI testing. When I freaked out, he gaslit me and told me if I for some reason ended up having an STI it wasn’t from him. He told me to stay skinny. He would refuse to see me if I wore clothes he didn’t like (ex: high waisted pants). He would tell me 8/

he found parts of my personality, upbringing, etc disgusting on a daily basis. He convinced me my friends were not good enough, my family was not good enough, etc. He would squeeze my jaw so hard and shake my face if he wanted me to shut up and stop crying. 9/

He would throw me across the couch/car if I went to hug him, give him a touch of comfort, etc. when he felt annoyed by me. He would punch the wall right beside my face. He coerced me into sex countless times. Violently assaulted me a handful of times. 10/

Convinced me every time that it was not what it seemed, I misunderstood, it was actually my fault, he didn’t mean it like that, etc.

This is maybe just 5% of what he put me through. It was endless. 11/

Adam Herpolsheimer is a sexual predator. He mentally abused me every day for years, physically abused me, used my body like a sex doll. Stalked me. Used me to stalk other people. He is a horrible, horrible, horrible person. 12/

I just needed to finally say some of it publicly I guess. And it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I constantly think about how or when I should contact his employer, for fear he may hurt another girl. But also fear how he would retaliate if I did so. I don’t know. 13/

All I can say is I’m thankful he lives far away from me now. I’m thankful for the days I totally forget he exists. I am lucky I escaped. Looking back, it’s crazy that I did. Still, I fantasize about him one day evaporating from existence altogether. 14/

I’m thinking about this because I am currently 24 going on 25 and cannot imagine ever, in any situation EVER, persuing a 17-year-old. (Or an 18-year-old. Or 19. Or 20, 21 even... but ya know) 15/

Anyway. There is some of my truth. If you associate with Adam, you are not my friend. If you show this to Adam, you are assisting an abusive narcissist sexual predator. 16/

Oh, and if you made fun of me, attacked me, campaigned against me when I was 17-19 for being Adam’s “puppet” - I haven’t forgotten you. I haven’t forgotten your cruelty. I haven’t forgotten how you villainized a minor while letting an adult predator slide. 17/

And I’ll end this by saying I am thankful for my deep, meaningful, supportive, healing relationships with women. I am thankful for Lucy, for Sarah, for Claudia, for Gabby, for Josie. And for so many others. I know exactly where I would be without them... and it scares me. 18/18