A man has been accused of cyberbullying and stalking over an alleged phone call 815 times to your ex girlfriend and send her thousands of messages in 48 hours. If you are found guilty faces up to 5 years in prison.
According to a March 27 US Department of Justice press release, Derik Wayne Bowera 44-year-old Maryland resident was indicted by a federal grand jury in Martinsburg.
The storm of calls and texts and on Facebook would have been triggered in December 2022. In addition, Bowers was said to have harassed her for months by texting her and constantly embarrassing her with posts on his networks.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering US sentencing guidelines and other legal factors.
“Cyberbullying is a pervasive problem that we take very seriously in West Virginia,” the US Attorney said. William Ihlenfeld.
“I encourage those who are being bullied online and suffering significant emotional distress from it to file a police report so that the offenders can be investigated and held accountable,” Ihlenfeld concluded.
According to Conan Daily, Bowers had already been arrested in 2015 and 2016, although they did not specify the reasons.
Japan: heavier penalties for cyberbullying
In mid-2022, Japan made a drastic decision to reduce cyberbullying.
The Asian country has chosen to amend the penal code in relation to cyberbullying after the death of Han Kimurathe Japanese fighter who decided to take her own life in 2020 due to cyberbullying and will now punish those who insult on the internet with fines and even prison.
Japan’s parliament has approved increased penalties for insults on the Internet, changing the penalty which was approximately 30 days in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 yen, to a new rate of up to one year’s imprisonment or a fine of 300,000 yen; equivalent to $2,200.
This bill, opponents say, could limit freedom of expression. For their part, lawmakers argued that tougher rules against cyberbullying were needed.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.