BENSALEM, Pa. — A Montgomery County man has been sentenced for a disturbing campaign of stalking that terrorized a Bensalem Township woman, ultimately forcing her to move out of her home in fear for her safety.
Matthew John Bustin, 34, of King of Prussia, was sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr. to 9 to 23 months in county jail, followed by seven years of probation. He will not be eligible for parole until completing the H.O.P.E. substance abuse recovery program.
The sentence followed a detailed presentation by Deputy District Attorney Brittney Kern, who laid out Bustin’s obsessive and calculated behavior — which began even before he contacted the victim via a dating site. Investigators later learned Bustin had searched the victim online prior to any communication.
Just six weeks into their interactions, the woman became alarmed by his behavior and contacted police. At the same time, Bustin was facing similar stalking charges in Lehigh County, raising serious concerns about a pattern of repeated behavior.
During the sentencing hearing, the victim delivered an emotional impact statement. She described returning from vacation on April 16, 2024, to find her apartment dark — the power cut, internet disconnected, and security camera turned to face the wall.
“I truly believed there was someone in my apartment with me,” she recalled, saying she sat in her kitchen with a knife, terrified, and called a friend for help.
The next day, she filed a police report. Within two days, she had moved out of her home due to fear. Her anxiety deepened when she found a note tucked into her pillows, confirming her belief that Bustin had been inside. She described it as a “sick psychological game.”
Investigators later discovered that Bustin had placed a magnetic GPS tracking device under her car. Surveillance footage showed him lying beneath the vehicle to plant the device while it was parked at her workplace. Phone data placed Bustin at her home and workplace on at least nine separate occasions, including at the exact moment her power was cut.
The victim said her entire family was affected — her parents took time off work, helped her find a new place, and took her car to be searched for tracking devices. The emotional and financial toll was significant.
“The immediacy of recurrence is scary,” the victim told the court, referencing his other stalking case. “This is not the behavior of someone who has learned from past repercussions.”
In addition to jail time and probation, Bustin was ordered to:
Have no contact with the victim
Stay off social media
Pay $1,334.60 in restitution
Comply with mental health and drug/alcohol treatment
The case was investigated by Bensalem Police Detective Connor Farnan and Officer Daniel Meade, and prosecuted by Deputy DA Brittney Kern.
