AUSTIN, Texas — A Fort Worth man is facing a criminal charge after investigators say he sent multiple violent threats to Texas state Rep. and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico through online accounts later traced back to him.

Billy James McFatridge is charged with terroristic threat against a public servant, according to an arrest affidavit.

Investigators said McFatridge threatened to “slit” Talarico’s throat and drag his body through the streets in messages sent to Talarico’s campaign email and Instagram account in early August.

The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Division was notified of the threats on Aug. 12 by Talarico’s chief of staff.

According to the affidavit, the first message was sent Aug. 3 to Talarico’s campaign email from an account using the name “GANGSTEROFLOVE817.” A second threatening message was sent Aug. 11 through Instagram from an account called “GODFATHEROFLOVE817.”

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Investigators obtained search warrants for subscriber information from Google and Meta. Google provided information identifying McFatridge as the owner of the Gmail account, according to the affidavit.

DPS agents interviewed McFatridge at his workplace Aug. 19. Investigators said he admitted owning both accounts and sending the messages but said he did not intend to hurt anyone and “had just wanted to scare” Talarico.

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According to the affidavit, McFatridge also told investigators he had access to several firearms, including a rifle, pistol and shotgun.

Talarico and several members of his staff provided sworn statements saying the messages made them fear for their safety, according to the affidavit. Talarico said he believed additional security would be necessary at upcoming campaign events, including one in the Fort Worth area.

Park Dietz, founder and president of Threat Assessment Group, told CBS Austin that threats against political figures are common, particularly for those who attract controversy.

“Every political figure receives all sorts of strange communications, including threats, and those who are controversial tend to get even more threats,” Dietz said.

Dietz said assessing a threat involves determining whether it is plausible and examining other factors that could indicate how seriously it should be taken.

“When we’re doing threat assessment, we don’t actually consider credibility so much as plausibility,” Dietz said. “Some threats are implausible, such as ‘I am going to blow up the planet.’ But if a threat is plausible, we’re looking for other things to determine how worried one should be.”

Investigators also cited two previous incidents involving McFatridge. In 2018, he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after Fort Worth police investigated an altercation in which he allegedly stabbed his mother with what the affidavit described as a “long stick with a blade at the end of it.” In 2023, police said McFatridge sent a threatening message to a former supervisor.

Darryl Paulson, emeritus professor of government at the University of South Florida, told CBS Austin that threats against political figures are escalating.

“Really, the time to stop any political violence in the United States was yesterday,” Paulson said. “It’s not tomorrow. It was months ago, years ago.”

Dietz said making threats online may be easy, but those responsible can underestimate authorities’ ability to identify them.

“Threats are cheap and easy to make,” Dietz said. “People don’t expect to be caught.”

DPS investigators requested several bond conditions if McFatridge is released from jail, including GPS monitoring, a mental health evaluation, a prohibition on possessing firearms and orders barring him from contacting Talarico or his staff or going near the Texas Capitol complex.

McFatridge is charged with terroristic threat against a public servant, a Class A misdemeanor.

Talarico’s office has not responded to a request for comment.