Cyberstalking

it is a crime

[ann]

Cyberstalking is a crime and punishable by law. It is not just predators stalking children get educated so you can know what to do if it should happen to you as it just happened to me. If anyone has been stalked in such a manner report it immediately to the police. If you Google around for it you will find an online form just for reporting.

Go ahead, report the lowlifes, I DID!

More reading on the subject.

[haltabuse.org...]

It is now a Federal crime.

Ann

[ann]

Cyberstalking is a crime
and is punishable by up to five years jail time and 250,000 dollars fine.

Anyone who sends more than one threatening, harassing email to the same person is a cyberstalker and cannot hide from the Feds,

In a different country? Doesn't matter, 99% of the populated world now have these laws and guess what? They don't even need warrants to go in and grab the hard drives from companies the cyberstalker has used.

Anonymous won't hold water to a group of people that have honed their skills for homeland security.

So you good people in here should keep this in mind if it should happen to you.

Ann Futral

[jsinger]

Do you have a link to that Draconian Federal Law? The link you posted was a much weaker state BILL introduced in Rhode Island.

What I find includes this:
"The (2006 fed law) law makes it a crime to anonymously "annoy, abuse, threaten or harass" another person over the Internet."

--------------------
Don't expect any protection from the Fed on this. Remember the Can-Spam law that outlawed spam a few years ago.

Oh, you can start protecting yourself by not signing your posts with your full name.

[ann]

Apparently your research was short lived.

Even Fed employees are going to jail. And some lady running a blog picked up one (they are like fleas) while running a blog...that stalker is in jail also. The Federal government will tender all help needed to the state law enforcement agency on these complaints..I spent a lot of time researching this sort of thing.

Actually it has given me an idea for yet another website.

Ann

[ratman7]

No offense, but what is the purpose of this thread?

[jsinger]

Apparently your research was short lived.

Actually I did spend time trying to find a U.S. federal anti-cyberstalking law that worked as described.

Also curious about no search warrant being required to seize hard drives.

Doubt that any law against "annoying" people is going to survive a constitutional test on several grounds.

[ann]

methinks some people protest too much.

The purpose of this thread? To warn others in here about this very real and growing problem and the fact there are things that can and are being done, also ways to protect oneself on the internet.

I started on the net a long time ago so was not as careful as some are so I managed to pick up a flea...but all the flea has bitten is a chunk of poison.

Ann

[ratman7]

Methinks I still have no idea of the point of this thread. Methinks that allusions and indeterminate statements do not a quality thread constitute.

[lawman]

I think the point is that ann is venting - some of us need to do that once in awhile.

[callivert]

Methinks I still have no idea of the point of this thread.

uh...wild stab here... it's a thread about "cyberstalking"?
It's foo- there's a wide range of allowable topics, and this certainly fits within it IMO.

[ronin]

Hmmm. I am lucky enough to have never been cyber-stalked.

But since I know how to block emails, instant messages, skype calls, facebook pokes and phone calls, I can't imagine it's very likely I ever will be cyber-stalked either.

They could stalk me by sending me lots of postcards, I suppose.

[ratman7]

I think the point is that ann is venting - some of us need to do that once in awhile.

Fair enough.

uh...wild stab here... it's a thread about "cyberstalking"?

Callivert - Obviously I know what the thread is about. I was questioning the purpose of the thread.

OP: In the case that I have come off the wrong way: No offense was intended, and I hope your stalking issues are resolved expeditiously. I'll bug out now ;)

[jsinger]

Methinks it's a plug for International Talk Like a Pirate day. But that falls on Sept 19. Arrrr!

[johnblack]

I believe that the purpose of the thread is to highlight the problem, that despite the anonymity of the internet, 'hassling' someone via email, forum posting or any electronic method is a federal crime in the US.

The crime is relatively new, as is text-bullying [stoptextbully.com...] so consequently not understood by the majority yet it is real and causes pain and suffering to the victim.

However I'm afraid to say that I cannot see the feds breaking down a door to seize the hard drive of a cyberstalker any day soon - may be a stash of illegal drugs or firearms, but not an HDD.

Anyway surely a cyberstalker would not be so stupid as to stalk from home when internet cafes and free wireless connections are practically on every street corner.

Even Fed employees are going to jail.

I'm not sure what is meant by this statement unless the writer knows that the feds are indeed cyberstalkers themselves.

I started on the net a long time ago so was not as careful as some are so I managed to pick up a flea...but all the flea has bitten is a chunk of poison.

I presume from this that the OP has some way of detecting cyberstalkers. I think we'd all be interested to know what that is.

Just to re-iterate I believe that cyberstalking is a serious crime and should be dealt with accordingly.

[lawman]

Last year someone sent me a thinly veiled threat of the worst kind. FBI wasn't interested. Local cops tracked him down based on info I provided. Since he was out of state, they weren't too interested in going after him. They let him know they knew who he was and that was it.

[ispy]

Could you give us some more info. on the stalking involved. Is this harrassment in the personal sphere or something business related?

Seems easily solved, perhaps it possible to block their email address?

[grandpa]

I was cyber stalked once, years ago. Even worse was to look outside and see that woman in her car at the curb.. shudder. She finally gave up/went away.

[Automan Empire]

I see your lady at the curb, and raise you one who breaks into the house three times in the same night, the third time after screwing all the doors and windows shut from the inside! That took two trips to jail and a restraining order to resolve.

Stalking should be taken seriously, and dealt with early in the game. Don't let the stalker control your emotional state by getting all caught up in the drama, that is real life feeding-the-troll. Document and report to the proper authorities.

Ann, hopefully you are safe now, and thank you for sharing these resources.

-Automan

[ann]

I am and thank you automan.

Ann