16 responses so far ↓

• Marcia // Jun 9, 2007 at 8:21 pm

  I like that the law addresses that it cannot be done anonymously. . . it is enough to deal with harassment when it is known.

  I am playing catchup on reading as well, Leon was on vacation this week so my blog travels were spotty and sporadic. I am glad you will be able to do the ten interesting facts this week, I know they will be exactly that!.

• Hammer // Jun 10, 2007 at 1:02 pm

  With the anon remialers and IP hiders hosted in eastern europe ..it’s really hard to prosecute these jerks. But I agree they should be prosecuted.

• Greg // Jun 19, 2007 at 5:55 pm

  I am having this problem right now and it’s pretty bad.
  It’s been going on over a year now. and it gets worse.
  It’s good to know there are recourses.
  I am searching for those recourses now, when I came across this.
  Thanks and if anyone has any suggestions, I would be forever in your debt.
  —-====annoyed

• Rose DesRochers // Oct 1, 2007 at 2:14 am

  Greg I wish I had the answer for you. I’m sorry to hear that you are having to deal with harassment. I’m a victim of cyber- harassment too.

• Karen // Nov 19, 2007 at 2:26 am

  There must be a way to stop online harassment, the story in the news today about the parents of a young girl who pretended to be a boy on myspace just to harass their daughter’s young neighbor… is an example of how the ‘anonymous’ internet is causing problems. I hope they prosecute to the parents and others start to enforce this law

• Sharon // Jan 18, 2008 at 2:44 pm

  I must be missing something because while someone shouldn’t be able to harrass you anonymously, it seems to me that they shouldn’t be allowed to harrass period. I belong to an online board powered by Invision where we have to former members who have been banned several times and yet who find ways around the banning and keep coming back to wreak havoc. We have this wonderful space but these two abusers seem to delight in causing harm. What in the world is the moderator of a board supposed to do in such a case. I’m researching right now in hopes of finding something.

• Randy // Mar 24, 2008 at 1:02 pm

  Here’s an answer:

  Leave the website. Delete annoying e-mails or ones from people you don’t know.

  How’s about a little personal responsibility?

  And it’s pretty interesting to define “anonymous”. Take for instance message boards…you have to register using a valid e-mail address, and if you don’t, no posting rights. So just because I don’t see your name pasted over every post, that makes it anonymous? Hardly.

• Angela Buer // May 13, 2008 at 9:49 am

  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the perpetrators could be caught and prosecuted? I have been enduring online harassment for over four months now, defaming my name on the internet and it has led to my changing my phone number, email and website. My family and friends have also been targeted and I have reported this abuse to numerous online resources as well as the police, who say they can’t do anything without a physical threat.
  Although I believe there is a third party posing as me and instigating these attacks on my character, there certainly is one person involved whom I dated briefly. Even in knowing this, authorities have been unwilling to pursue what are blatant crimes of harassment, fraud and online abuse.
  It is not a matter of simply “leaving the site”, I don’t participate in these ‘boards’, in fact this is the first time I have left a comment. These perps are posting as my friends, family and me. What do you do when this type of online activity could potentially affect your career and online identity when many of the ISP’s are claiming “freedom of speech?”….Angela R Buer

• Guary Nicholson // May 14, 2008 at 2:47 pm

  I have been the subject of harassment for over four months now from a woman I dated not too long ago. She even admitted to one of my friends that she has done this before and has posed as the victim before.I have had to change my number and talk to many blog owners about slanderous posts the perp have made on their blog. I have had some sort of strange contact with the perp recently who claims she is not doing it. I have filed a police report and have talked to the DA’s office. Luckily they are watching the perp closely. The funny thing is, the perp has been acting as if they are the target! Posting on boards such as this as if it is they who are the victim. They know who they are, and they can play games all they want, but the cops know whats up and thanks to a subpoena for Craigslist records, the perp even used their own employers ISP! But the Library is where she does most of her harassment and they even ID’ed her and her vehicle. The perp has targeted my friends and family. The woman who did it even claims she is innocent and that there is a group of them doing to me. I find this silly and ridiculous. The only person who has any motive to do this is her. The cops know who it is and they are watching her closely. Its only a matter of time before she is caught. I have a great lawyer who is helping me. and thanks to the Los Angeles DA’s office who elevated this to the FBI’s cybercrime task force. The fact that she claims people are posing as her, is a lie. IP addresses and witnesses do not lie. plus she knows certain personal things about my family and old roommate that only she would know. Her motives revolve around various aspects of our relationship at that time. And she accuses me of things that supposedly happened around that time, which logically means that no one else would have the motive to do this but her. She poses as me, my friends, my family,etc on boards and on Craigslist. I think it has stopped for now, but who knows. She has trashed my business, my name,etc. But the good thing is, most sane people can read the offending posts and know that the person is just slandering me and that none of it is true. I hope she just moves on with her life. Its obvious she has a hard time with that.

• S. Potter // May 16, 2008 at 4:11 pm

  I was the target of a few attempts to harass me - via postings on Craigslist for a garage sale, listing all the items in my home and inviting strangers to my home. The other was a single’s site which was meant to have people call me at all hours of the day…and they did. The problem is that I had people pounding on my door at 8 am waking me and my four children…..and quite upset that there was no garage sale. I filed a report with the police and contacted the FBI who said there is no federal law on the books preventing people from doing this. Had one of my children been injured or threatened, then they could investigate. However, I noticed the law preventing internet harassment via annonymous persons. Would anyone happen to know the answer to this - my name was not posted on either of the sites…however my complete address and phone number were. The intent was clearly to harass me, but it ended up putting my children in harms way. Surely this law must cover me. Any input? Thanks in advance.

• Guary Nicholson // May 16, 2008 at 7:53 pm

  Yes you can do something about this. call the district attorneys office and talk to them. The new law on the books is real. you will have to do a lot of the legwork yourself(gather evidence,etc.) and present it to the DA. Since my harasser used the public library for her harassment and threats, she is in deep doo doo. my lawyer and the detective who has been helping us went to the library and they id’ed her and her vehicle. You also need to make sure you keep the Posting Id’s from Craigslist and then get a lawyer to subpoena craigslist for the users email and IP address. then take that to law enforcement. Its been an uphill battle but now its starting to pay off. Craigslist will be a lot of help once you get the subpoena. They have helped me a lot and still are.

• Guary Nicholson // Jun 1, 2008 at 8:02 pm

  I am a victim of internet harassment. After 6 months of this, The perpetrator seems to have found a renewed vigor to continue. -Guary Nicholson

• Rose DesRochers // Jun 2, 2008 at 1:02 am

  Guary, I’m sorry to hear after all this time she is still harassing you.

• Guary Nicholson // Jun 5, 2008 at 2:32 am

  Thank you Rose. Its been a little crazy, having someone harass and stalk me, but the fact that she stalked and harassed my friends is even worse. What kind of sick person can go to sleep at night knowing that they harassed and stalked innocent people and found some kind of joy out of doing it? -Guary Nicholson

• G. Nicholson // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:39 am

  Talked to the FBI today. My stalker is getting worse. Handed all of my evidence to them. They said I have a case, so hopefully my ex will be arrested soon. Either way, they know her name now. They said she fits a profile. I handed them pictures, her address, and last known employer address. They said they would start following up this week. They also took statements from the the people around me that she was harassing as well. I showed them everything. Spent two hours in downtown LA today at the agency.

• KE Jackson // Aug 6, 2008 at 6:49 pm

  Can you direct me to the actual law/statute which Bush signed in 2006. I’m trying to find an actual link to that law on the internet. Thank you.

Leave a Comment