Romanek is self-proclaimed alien abductee. His claims to have collected a wide variety of evidence over the years proving the existence of aliens including hundreds of photos, videos, audio recordings, drawings, and math equations he claims he could not/should not know. In one account from 2003, he said he woke up and found himself wearing a flannel ladies’ nightgown, and suspected he had been abducted and returned in different clothing. Romanek says he eventually came to suspect that the clothing belonged to another supposed abductee, Betty Hill. When asked if the gown had been tested for Hill’s DNA, Romanek claimed that it had not because the test was too expensive.
In 2008, Romanek appeared on Larry King Live, along with Jeff Peckman, former Denver Mayoral candidate endorsing Romanek’s story as part of his campaign for a Denver Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission. Romanek claimed to have recorded a video of an expressionless alien peeking in his window, now commonly referred to as the ‘’Boo Video’’.
In May of 2008 during an interview of Romanek on Coast To Coast AM radio, host George Noory suggested that Romanek take a lie detector test over the authenticity of the Boo Video. Romanek agreed to this test. When it was conducted later that year, Romanek failed on the question “Is the Boo tape a hoax?” Romanek alleged without evidence that he had medical conditions that prevent a lie detector test from working on him. Later at the 2009 Mysteries of the Universe conference in Kansas City, Romanek instead alleged without evidence that he was set up by Noory to fail.
In 2009, he was asked by ABC News to submit a purported alien implant in his leg to medical examination. When the time came, Romanek claimed it had disappeared from his body. The Rocky Mountain Paranormal research group recreated a famous video produced by Romanek, purporting to show a little green man peeking in his window. The groups claims they reenacted the video for $90. In a 2015 video interview on the Peter Maxwell Slattery show, Romanek said he faked the strange movement of objects that occurred during a 2014 interview on the same show. Romanek initially denied he had faked evidence and then later apologized, alleging a government conspiracy coerced him into confessing and incriminating himself.
In 2017, director Jon Sumple released Extraordinary: The Stan Romanek Story, a documentary recounting Romanek’s fifteen years worth of alleged extraterrestrial and supernatural encounters. The film features a series of vignettes, home videos, photographs and interviews, often accompanied by dramatic classical music. Sumple presents much of the purported evidence of UFOs and encounters which made Romanek famous. The film’s epilogue attempts to dispel some of the stigma surrounding the recent criminal charges brought against Romanek.
On February 13, 2014, Romanek was arrested after turning himself in at the Larimer County jail on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography, the outcome of an eight-month investigation launched by Homeland security. More than 300 images as well as video files depicting child pornography were found on Romanek’s computers. After appearing at the Larimer County Courthouse, Romanek was released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond. In March 2016, Romanek pleaded not guilty to both charges after refusing a plea deal from the 8th Judicial DA’s Office. Romanek and his wife both denied the charges, claiming their home computer was hacked in an effort to silence him and warn other experiencers not to speak out.
Despite public allegations by Romanek that the government had planted the evidence on his computer, Deputy District Attorney Joshua Ritter at the sentencing hearing accused Romanek of deception “to try to place blame on others” and “doctoring evidence” of fake videos alleging computer hacking, and disclosed that Romanek had even tried to frame his stepson Jacob Shadduck for placing the pornography on the computer, evidence the prosecutor pointed out that even the defense team would not allow into court.
On August 8, 2017, Romanek was found guilty of felony possession of child pornography but not guilty of distribution of child pornography. His sentencing was held December 14, 2017, where he was sentenced to serve two years in the Larimer County Community Corrections halfway house, and to register as a sex offender.
