friend having trouble

[MrsMtnJack]

I have a friend who is having someone harrass her anonymously on internet blogs. This anon poster is saying nasty untruths and hiding behind an anonymity. It is believed the same person has also given out my friends phone number on dollars with nasty offers. She also has had a rock thrown through one of her windows.

what course of action/inaction would you recommend?

I contacted the owner of the site and told them it was untrue and we were contacting the police and a lawyer. He contacted her and said he took that thread down, but what can we really do and is that site responsible at all?
I know danp has shown his concern about us and how we all reflect on PAFOA, and this site is very well administered, but what if the owner of a site could care less? wadayado?

edit to add: today a male called her and said her phone number/name was written on a sidewalk offering services.

[ErSwnn]

The site and police should have no trouble following the IP address to the aggressive poster. I believe there is also an FBI department which handles computer crimes. Maybe a call to her congressman to spur an investigation. Does she know this person offline? If not it seems she might have given out way more information than she should have. But by all means she should not conduct an online battle with this twit, that is exactly what he/she wants. These people thrive on riling up others, makes them feel smart and powerful. In real life their just common cowards.

[Philbert]

I have a friend who is having someone harrass her anonymously on internet blogs. This anon poster is saying nasty untruths and hiding behind an anonymity. It is believed the same person has also given out my friends phone number on dollars with nasty offers. She also has had a rock thrown through one of her windows.

what course of action/inaction would you recommend?

I contacted the owner of the site and told them it was untrue and we were contacting the police and a lawyer. He contacted her and said he took that thread down, but what can we really do and is that site responsible at all?
I know danp has shown his concern about us and how we all reflect on PAFOA, and this site is very well administered, but what if the owner of a site could care less? wadayado?

edit to add: today a male called her and said her phone number/name was written on a sidewalk offering services.

If the site in question took the offending thread down, then they are on your side. I would not bother going after them. I would definitely have your friend go to the police with as much documentation as possible of the online and offline harassment.

[danp]

That sounds pretty clearly like harassment to me. I would be surprised if there was nothing police could do.

Whether they want to do something might be a different sad story.

[xXWildPonyXx]

sorry if it is offending but it is what it is. seen this floating around for years.

but you have to be able to do something about the physical harrasment

[Burton]

Typically ISPs are sketchy about providing personal information based on logged IPs. If you contact them and they push back on releasing information, you'll need a subpoena.

I would suggest in the immediate term that she get a new phone number and be extremely selective in who she broadcasts it to. I can't imagine the person doing this is on friendly terms with her face to face.

Just my $0.02

[spratman]

As far as physical harrassment, the cops can do something about that, even if they classify it as vandalism.

Unfortunately, all the slimy little scumballs that inhabit the net and hide behind anonymity will always get away with this. These are usually people that would never have the guts to face you and say these things.

I think your friend is taking the appropriate action. Hopefully, they will catch them and made a public spectacle out of them.

[mojo]

The site and police should have no trouble following the IP address to the aggressive poster.

The owner's of the site should be able to provide you with info like the IP address and the email address that they used to setup the account.

With that info, the lawyer should be able to get personal info from the ISP. I would then take that info the police. If you can link that with the off 'net stuff, I would think that the police would almost have to do something. She could at least get a PFA or something.

[Mtn Jack]

OOOPS NOTE: This is MrsMtnJack

She went to the police and they took a report.
They called the male who called her and left him a voice-message to call them back. They suggested (and she did) change her phone number.
She is giving it only to trusted freinds, who also are perusing the net for more defamation.
She feels it is a jealousy (maturity) thing. If it follows, or escalates the police will work on it further.