Cyberstalking Landmark Cases In Usa
🔹 1. United States v. Lori Drew (2008)
📌 Facts:
Lori Drew created a fake MySpace profile posing as a teenage boy ("Josh Evans") to harass 13-year-old Megan Meier, who was later found dead by suicide after receiving a final message: “The world would be a better place without you.”
⚖️ Legal Issues:
Drew was charged under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) for accessing a computer “without authorization,” since she violated MySpace’s Terms of Service.
🧑⚖️ Outcome:
She was convicted on misdemeanor charges, but the conviction was later vacated by a federal judge. The court ruled that violating terms of service wasn’t sufficient to qualify as “unauthorized access” under the CFAA.
🔹 Significance: This case raised questions about whether terms of service violations can constitute criminal acts and led to calls for more precise cyberstalking laws.
🔹 2. United States v. William J. Cassidy (2011)
📌 Facts:
Cassidy harassed a Buddhist religious leader through Twitter posts and blog articles. He published over 8,000 tweets targeting her, including threats and false statements about her personal life.
⚖️ Legal Issues:
He was charged under a federal cyberstalking statute (18 U.S.C. § 2261A) for using interstate communications to cause substantial emotional distress.
🧑⚖️ Outcome:
The charges were dismissed. The judge ruled that Cassidy’s speech, though offensive, was protected under the First Amendment because it was not a true threat and was part of public discourse.
🔹 Significance: The case clarified the limits of criminal prosecution for cyberstalking when speech is protected, highlighting the tension between free speech and online harassment.
🔹 3. United States v. David Lenio (2015)
📌 Facts:
Lenio used Twitter to make antisemitic threats and expressed intentions to shoot up a school. His social media threats led to widespread fear and concern among the public and authorities.
⚖️ Legal Issues:
Lenio was charged under both Montana state law and federal law (interstate communication of threats, 18 U.S.C. § 875).
🧑⚖️ Outcome:
Although he was initially found mentally unfit to stand trial, Lenio was later released with restrictions. The case raised awareness about the use of social media in threatening behavior and mental health evaluations in cybercrime prosecutions.
🔹 Significance: Emphasized the growing concern over violent threats made via social media and how courts balance public safety with free expression.
🔹 4. United States v. Tyler Barriss (2017)
📌 Facts:
Barriss made a hoax 911 call (known as “swatting”) leading to the fatal police shooting of an innocent man, Andrew Finch, in Kansas. The call was made due to a dispute over an online video game.
⚖️ Legal Issues:
Barriss was charged with multiple federal offenses, including cyberstalking resulting in death (18 U.S.C. § 2261A), false information, and threat-related charges.
🧑⚖️ Outcome:
Barriss pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison — one of the longest sentences for cyberstalking-related conduct.
🔹 Significance: Set a major precedent for accountability in swatting and cyber harassment cases, showing that indirect online actions can have fatal real-world consequences.
🔹 5. United States v. Juan Thompson (2017)
📌 Facts:
Thompson engaged in a cyberstalking campaign against his ex-girlfriend, sending threats to Jewish community centers across the country in her name to frame her. He used email spoofing and social media to harass her and create chaos.
⚖️ Legal Issues:
Charged with cyberstalking (18 U.S.C. § 2261A) and making hoax threats. The FBI investigated the case due to the serious nature of the false threats.
🧑⚖️ Outcome:
Thompson pleaded guilty and received a 60-month (5-year) prison sentence.
🔹 Significance: Demonstrated how false flag cyberstalking campaigns could result in severe criminal liability. It also underscored the government’s approach to hate crime hoaxes and digital manipulation.
🔹 6. United States v. Tyerell Przybycien (2017)
📌 Facts:
Przybycien encouraged a teenage girl to kill herself and even bought the materials for her suicide. He filmed the act and posted content online, drawing national outrage.
⚖️ Legal Issues:
While not a classic “cyberstalker,” his encouragement and online documentation of the suicide led to charges of child abuse, criminal solicitation, and reckless endangerment, and was prosecuted under both state and federal cybercrime principles.
🧑⚖️ Outcome:
He was sentenced to 5 years to life in prison.
🔹 Significance: Although prosecuted under traditional criminal statutes, this case influenced cyberstalking laws involving suicide encouragement online and raised ethical concerns about digital involvement in vulnerable individuals' deaths.
✅ Summary Table:
| Case | Key Statute(s) | Outcome | Key Legal Principle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lori Drew | CFAA | Conviction vacated | Terms of service ≠ unauthorized access |
| William Cassidy | 18 U.S.C. § 2261A | Charges dismissed | Free speech vs. online harassment |
| David Lenio | 18 U.S.C. § 875 | Released with conditions | Violent social media threats & mental fitness |
| Tyler Barriss | 18 U.S.C. § 2261A (resulting in death) | 20 years in prison | Swatting = cyberstalking w/ deadly outcome |
| Juan Thompson | 18 U.S.C. § 2261A | 5 years in prison | Framing and email spoofing as cyberstalking |
| Tyerell Przybycien | State law & cyber evidence | 5 years to life | Suicide encouragement online as cyber abuse |
These cases collectively shaped how U.S. federal and state courts interpret and enforce cyberstalking laws, especially under 18 U.S.C. § 2261A, the main federal cyberstalking statute. They also demonstrate the challenges of balancing free speech, mental health, and online accountability.
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