Former student support worker Elia Papillo released on bail, charged with multiple counts of stalking

A former student support worker has been accused of stalking multiple people online, including creating a Facebook page of a deceased person, a court heard.

Allegations of a former student support worker stalking multiple people online have been aired to the court, including the creation of a Facebook page of a deceased person.

Elia Nanette Papillo, 25, was granted bail in the Supreme Court on Thursday after she allegedly continued to harass multiple people.

The court heard Papillo was convicted of stalking in November last year and handed a suspended sentence.

Elia Papillo is charged with stalking.

Justice Ben Doyle said Ms Papillo was then charged with stalking in February this year after she went on a small number of dates with one of the alleged victims before allegedly sending him harassing messages online and unwanted packages.

The court heard Ms Papillo is also charged with stalking another man, his partner and sister, between November 2023 and June 2024.

The court heard Ms Papillo's’ alleged stalking involved making a “malicious” complaint about the man to the Teachers Registration Board and using social media accounts to impersonate or contact persons associated with the alleged victims.

“Some of the allegations are particularly concerning in that they involve the alleged creation of a Facebook page relating to a deceased person,” Justice Doyle said.

The court heard the alleged victims were concerned for their safety and reputations.

Ms Papillo, of Salisbury, was released on home detention bail in August but had it revoked last week after the alleged victims made further reports to police about their friends or contacts being harassed.

A prosecutor, opposing bail, said the digital evidence of a phone seized has not yet been returned so Ms Papillo’s connection to the alleged further offending was “by inference” and she had not yet been charged with it.

“In my submission it would be an extraordinary coincidence if this behaviour was being perpetrated by someone other than the applicant,” the prosecutor said.

“The very nature of the offence of stalking, particularly online stalking, is that it is insidious and far more difficult to stop or be protected against.

“This type of offending is invasive and is unable to be escaped from. The complainants in this matter, quite simply, cannot move states for their protection due to the online nature of this offending.”

Elia Papillo is charged with stalking. Photo: Facebook

Ms Papillo, who lists herself as a student support worker for the Department for Education on LinkedIn, had her provisional licence cancelled on August 25, 2023, according to the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia.

Jane Abbey KC, for Ms Papillo, said there was currently no evidence to attribute the new harassment to her client as she had been using a non-smart phone while on bail and unable to access the internet.

Ms Abbey said the first three stalking charges were “strongly defended”.

Justice Doyle said the reports about further harassment caused him “real concern” but due to the family’s “significant sacrifice” to agree to ban all smart devices from the house and provide a $10,000 cash surety persuaded him to grant Ms Papillo bail.

He gave Ms Papillo a strict warning not to breach any conditions and adjourned the charges until next month.