Law banning cyberstalking is a victory for a victim

Thursday, March 25, 2004

By PAUL SHUKOVSKY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

When Gov. Gary Locke signed a bill yesterday making cyberstalking a crime, it was a victory for Joelle Ligon, who had made passage of the law a personal crusade.

BACKGROUND

Read Joelle Ligon's story.

Ligon, who has endured years of graphic sexual harassment, amorphous threats, creepy mind games and public humiliation, was frustrated by not getting help from the police. Investigators told her there was no state law against Internet harassment unless physical threats were made.

That changed yesterday because of Ligon's campaign, which included sharing the details of her painful experience with legislators, with such public advocacy organizations as the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs and with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

"The system works," Ligon said.

In February, as Ligon was in the midst of pushing for the legislation, she told her story to a P-I reporter, providing all the personal and painful details.

House Bill 2771 makes cyberstalking a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to one year behind bars, a $5,000 fine or both. It becomes a felony if the perpetrator has a prior harassment conviction or makes a death threat.

A person is guilty of cyberstalking if he or she uses lewd, lascivious, indecent or obscene language over the Internet or by e-mail with the intent to harass, intimidate, torment or embarrass someone or threatens to inflict injury on a person or property.

Ligon, who was at wit's end after moving to Seattle three years ago, endured anonymous e-mails -- vicious lies about her sexual history and character -- sent to co-workers. Her tormentor listed her name and contact information on Internet sex sites, resulting in phone calls from men seeking sex.

She finally got help from the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the King County Prosecutor's Office. Investigators identified an ex-boyfriend as the culprit. The harassment has stopped, and a federal criminal investigation continues.

Her experience prompted Ligon to ask her legislators, Rep. Helen Sommers and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, both Seattle Democrats, to sponsor legislation.

Ligon credited Sommers, Kohl-Welles and Rep. Patricia Lantz, a Gig Harbor Democrat, with shepherding the measure through the Legislature. The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs also took up her cause by lobbying for the bill.

Ligon, who was present when the governor signed the bill, said the new law means "law enforcement now has a tool to prosecute cyberstalkers and cyberpredators. People in our community now have somewhere they can turn."

P-I reporter Paul Shukovsky can be reached at 206-448-8072 or paulshukovsky@seattlepi.com

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