By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A man accused of stalking and harassing Ashanti with perverse text messages and explicit photos was found guilty by a Manhattan jury Tuesday night.
Devar Hurd, 31, admitted to sending dozens of what he called "sex texts" to Tina Douglas, Ashanti's mother and manager. The virtual notes were intended for Ashanti, Douglas and the singer's younger sister.
Hurd said he believed Douglas "welcomed" the messages and that he meant no ill intent for the women.
He started texting Douglas years ago but the charges included more than 20 disturbing messages the star's mom received while staying in Manhattan for Ashanti's theater debut from May to July 2009.
"Here's a pic I had laying around for the ladies in sum of my birthday suit lol," Hurd wrote on May 30, 2009.
When he testified last week, he claimed to have met the singer once when she walked past him at a concert in Chicago, years ago.
He said they made eye contact and that she gave him a look "like she was saying 'hi.' "
"I was like damn, I need to get in touch with her," he continued.
The messages depicted Hurd's deluded fantasies and his imaginary relationship with the 29-year-old singer and actress. He also seemed to believe he was close to a record deal of his own with the record label Murder Inc., which represents Ashanti.
He boldy told a jury that he and the singer were romantically involved in private for years, but Ashanti was waiting for him to straighten out "contract stuff," with the company before she would make their status official.
"Some women like to purposely test a guy to see if he's a punk," Hurd said. "[Ashanti] acts like she likes me because she's playing that little fifth grade game."
Douglas testified that she never responded to his messages and asked him to stop contacting her entirely on several occasions before reporting Hurd to authorities.
Hurd is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 11. He faces up to two years in a city jail, but will not be sent to prison because his crimes were misdemeanors.
