Las Vegas NowI-Team: Former Weatherman Responds to Stalking Allegations

I-Team: Former Weatherman Responds to Stalking Allegations

A well-known TV weathercaster says personal demons drove him to threaten a woman he met on a dating service website.

The I-Team broke the story about dozens of strange and menacing messages left by former Channel 3 Meteorologist John Fredericks -- messages which led to a report filed with Las Vegas police.

Now Fredericks has weighed in with some comments on the story.

If you saw the reports, you know the basics. Fredericks was on the air at KVBC for more than 12 years and became very well known, especially for his fondness of dogs. But Fredericks left the station last December because of a series of odd events involving his newest canine companion.

A Las Vegas woman we call “Jane” said she was being harassed and stalked by Fredericks after meeting him on an internet dating site. She tried to cut off the relationship but Fredericks overwhelmed her with calls and messages and threatened to use his contacts with law enforcement to have her arrested for stalking him.

She shared with us a few dozen of the messages he left.

Wednesday afternoon, Fredericks called and left a message on the I-Team phone. He first apologized for anything he may have done to offend anyone. Second, he said has been on the road, which is why he did not return phone calls and messages seeking his comment. Third, he says he has not seen the reports and has no intention of seeing them but that he wants to explain his behavior.

He said he has struggled with alcohol dependency for most of his adult life -- that it runs in his family and has killed other family members. He said alcohol was a factor in his decision to leave Channel 3.

Fredericks says he joined an alcohol recovery program three months ago and is still in the program today but that he is not using booze as an excuse for anything he's done.

The woman he was pestering said Fredericks drank excessively during her one visit to his home, which was a few weeks ago. She offered to assist him in getting help but he denied having a problem.

If you listen to the messages he left, it's pretty clear he's got issues, but so long as he leaves Jane alone, the police won't be one of them.