Bucks Man With a Criminal Foot Fetish Sentenced To 14 Years

A Bucks County “career criminal” with a foot fetish is headed back to prison, this time for stalking women, authorities announced.

Carl James Gaither, 35, who called himself “John the foot guy” to the 16 females he harassed by making lewd phone calls, was sentenced last week to as much 14 years in state prison, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s office.

Authorities say over the course of six months, Gaither, a Bristol Township resident, made close to 1,000 lewd and harassing phone calls to female employees at the Bucks County Prison, where he was once an inmate.

He would terrorize his victims by learning their names and personal information, and discussing sexually explicit fantasies involving his foot fetish, according to the District Attorney’s office.

“One can only imagine how terrorized they must have been,” said Bucks County Judge Rea B. Boylan, who imposed the sentence on Jan. 20.

The calls were made to the victims between November 2014 and April 2015 while the woman were at work. Most of the victims were employed by the Bucks County Correctional Facility, according to information from the District Attorney’s office.

“Gaither also victimized female workers at state prisons where he has done time, including Coal Township in Northumberland County, Camp Hill in Cumberland County, and Houtzdale in Clearfield County,” according to the district attorney’s office.

Authorities were able to trace the calls to a cell phone bill under a pseudonym that Gaither used.

His defense attorney said a psychological examination found that Gaither has an “antisocial personality” disorder in which he is unable to control his impulses or conform his behavior to societal norms, according to the District Attorney’s office.

Gaither pled guilty in December to 16 counts of stalking, all first-degree misdemeanors. The judge imposed three consecutive 2- to 4-year sentences: one for the first six counts of stalking, one for the next six counts and one for the final four counts, authorities said.

Gaither received an additional 1- to 2-year sentence, followed by 8 years of state probation, for an unrelated burglary. Authorities say Gaither broke into a Tullytown boat sales business in June and stole a power washer.

Gaither’s criminal record dates back to his teen years and includes convictions for terroristic threats, burglary, receiving stolen property, indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.

“The defendant is a career criminal and a threat to the community,” prosecutors told the judge.

The judge ordered Gaither to have no further contact with his victims, and to undergo sex-offender, mental-health and drug-and-alcohol treatment in prison. He will not be incarcerated in any of the prisons where his victims are employed.