Man Accused of Cyberstalking Multiple People
Nowadays, committing a crime is easier than ever. You don’t even have to be near a person to commit a crime against them. For example, you can stalk someone from the comfort of your own home.
This may seem weird to some people, as stalking once involved following someone around in person. Now you can easily stalk someone online and get in trouble for it.
A man from New York has been accused of cyberstalking six people and there could be even more victims. The man would meet his victims on dating apps and then come up with extensive schemes in order to stalk them. But he did more than just follow his victims online. He would also harass them, causing one woman to fear for her life.
In one case, the man met with the female victim online in November 2018. The two then met in person in January 2019. Once their relationship ended, the man was accused of stalking the woman on social media. He then took things a step further by sending emails and text messages to the victim. He also engaged in prank calls, using prank call websites to generate these calls and messages.
The man made calls to himself as well to appear as though he was being harassed. He even made police reports about this alleged harassment. The FBI claims this is a common tactic used by cybercriminals to make it appear as though they had no role in the cyberstalking.
The man created messages to make it seem as though the victim was being physically stalked near her home. This caused immense fear in the woman, causing her to spend more than $50,000 to defend herself from the man’s actions.
This woman was not the man’s only victim. He also stalked five other people related to the woman. In addition, the man stalked two businesses where the victims worked.
In addition to sending messages, the man attempted to gain access to various Apple, social media, and online shopping accounts owned by his victims. The man allegedly sent thousands of texts, emails, and phone calls between December 2019 and January 2021. All have been investigated by the FBI.
Cyberstalking Definition
Cyberstalking encompasses various forms of electronic harassment. It means communicating with another person, without a legitimate purpose, and causing significant emotional distress to the person. Florida law has not defined what establishes “substantial emotional distress.” However, courts across the state have described it as something beyond ordinary day-to-day distress.
Cyberstalking includes many kinds of behavior, such as threatening or harassing text messages or emails, online bullying, and posting or sharing nude or sexual photos of another person.
Contact Us Today
Cyberstalking and other online crimes are often seen as minor, but these crimes do a lot of emotional harm to victims. A person may fear for their life as their perpetrator hides behind a computer screen.
If you have been accused of an internet crime, don’t handle it on your own. You need a solid defense. A Florida computer & internet crime lawyer from the Law Offices of Gilbert A. Schaffnit has the tools and experience to assist you. To schedule a consultation, fill out the online form or call (352) 505-1799.
Source:
wkow.com/news/crime/woman-feared-for-her-life-while-allegedly-cyberstalked-by-man-she-met-on-popular-dating/article_a4f5ad8f-f8b6-5cfc-9438-5a49f971a6e2.html
