Reference no: EM132449666

Cyberstalking:

The use of internet, email or any other electronic means of communication to stalk or harass another person is called cyberstalking (Easttom, 2016). In general stalking refers to threatening, following, appearing in front of another person's home for long time etc., Generally the main motive is to intimidate and gather information from the victim which can be an identity theft and online stalking.

As I stay in New Jersey, cyberstalking in this state refers to criminal activity via electronic mode of communication. Under section 2C:33-4.1 of New Jersey Criminal Code justice following are considered as cyberstalking or harassment: (1) Committing a crime against a person; (2) Threats to inflict person injury or property damage; (3) Sending indecent posts to others via social media platforms (Gorman, 2009).

Also, according to New Jersey Code of criminal justice section 2C:12, cyberstalking is a fourth-degree offense and a person can be sentenced to jail up to 18 months and a $10,000 fine. It can also be classified as third degree which carries the potential for 5years of imprisonment. A third-degree charge can be classified as below under section 2C:12-10 (law, 2009):

A person if he/ she commits offense of stalking to same victim repeatedly

If he/she commits offense of stalking in violence of existing court order

If a person is under parole or serving the term of imprisonment commits cyberstalking

All the above reasons can be considered as guilty of crime of the third degree for cyberstalking. Even under New Jersey's Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (PDVA), cyberstalking is one of the forms of domestic violence where it can be committed against present or former boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, children etc.,