'Vampire' arrested for threatening teenage 'slayer'

John Alfred Sharkey, who calls himself the "The Impaler," ran as the Vampyres, Witches and Pagans party candidate for Minnesota governor in 2006.

The 16-year-old girl's complaint claims the pair struck up a friendship in 2007 after she wrote a message of support on his MySpace page. She told police they began dating online, and the threats began when she tried to break off the relationship, according to the Post-Bulleting newspaper.

She told police that "in a desperate attempt" to get him to leave her alone, she had e-mailed him that she was a member of an elite vampire hunter society and that continuing their relationship would put him in danger. Her father told police he talked to Mr Sharkey, 44, but he continued to call the girl and write letters to her parents.

He was charged with felony harassment and two misdemeanors: coercion with a threat to inflict bodily harm and coercion with a threat to expose a secret or disgrace. He is in jail after being unable to raise bail.

Rick Smith, his lawyer, has asked that the charges be dismissed for lack of probable cause.

He was supposed to appear in court in August, but got a delay by saying he had been hurt in a pro wrestling match. He then missed a September hearing and a warrant was issued.

The complaint says Mr Sharkey told a Rochester police sergeant who called him last August that he was a vampire "who needs to drink human blood for strength." It says he referred to the girl as his wife and princess. Last August he also wrote a letter threatening to sue the county attorney's office for wrongful and vindictive prosecution.

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