A months-long investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has ended with the arrest of a Florida man accused of relentlessly harassing a woman through thousands of anonymous phone calls and escalating the campaign by filing a false child abuse report against her family.

Authorities say 31-year-old Luke Herbert of Port Orange spent nearly a year targeting the Flagler County woman while attempting to conceal his identity through blocked numbers and internet-based phone services. Investigators say their extensive digital investigation eventually uncovered the source of the harassment, leading to felony charges.

According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the victim contacted detectives in February 2026 after enduring an extraordinary level of harassment that had stretched back to March 2025.

She reported receiving thousands of unwanted phone calls and messages from blocked or unknown numbers. On some days alone, she was bombarded with more than 50 calls. The constant stream of voicemail recordings and random audio clips repeatedly filled her voicemail box, making it difficult for legitimate callers to leave messages.

Detectives from the Major Case Unit worked alongside the Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit to trace the calls. Their investigation found that many of the communications originated from a network of internet-based phone numbers allegedly linked to Herbert.

Investigators also determined that during a single week in early February, Herbert’s personal cellphone placed 213 calls to the victim. Authorities say the calls were disguised so her phone displayed each one simply as “Unknown,” making it appear they came from unidentified callers.

Detectives say Herbert used an internet-based phone number in December 2025 to submit a false report to the Florida Department of Children and Families, claiming the woman and her husband were abusing their children.

Child protective investigators responded to the report but found no evidence supporting the allegations. The case was ultimately closed as unfounded.

According to investigators, Herbert had no personal relationship with the victim beyond having previously been trespassed from the business where she worked.

Sheriff Rick Staly praised investigators for overcoming significant technological obstacles to identify the suspect, saying the case demonstrated the importance of the agency’s Cyber Crimes Unit and its ability to follow complex digital evidence.

Authorities also revealed that Herbert had faced similar allegations before. In an earlier Volusia County case involving harassing phone calls, he pleaded no contest, and a judge withheld adjudication.

On July 17, detectives obtained a felony arrest warrant charging Herbert with stalking, filing a false report of child abuse, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office arrested him at his Port Orange home. He was booked into the Volusia County Jail and was later released after posting a $12,500 bond.