The term cyberstalking is generally used to refer to the harassment or stalking another person by using the Internet, e-mail, or other telecommunication technologies, however, there is no universally accepted definition. Basically, cyberstalking is an extension of the act of physically stalking someone. It is required that the stalker make anexplicitthreat of violence against the victimby most state and federal stalking laws, while severalof these laws require only that the “alleged stalker's course of conduct constitute an implied threat” (Gregorie, 2014). Some cyberstalking conduct can involve annoying behavior or worse menacing behavior that may fall short under current lawsof the definition illegal stalking. Behavior such asthis may be …show more content…
Department of Justice (DOJ) reported in ‘Cyberstalking: A New Challenge for Law Enforcement and Industry’ that cyberstalking was a growing problem. In the report the DOJ, stated that “there are currently more than 80 million adults and 10 million children with access to the Internet in the United States”(Gregorie, 2014). If we assume that the people that are victims of cyberstalking is even a fraction of those that have been/ are victims of physical stalking in a twelve month period, then it is estimated that there are potentially tens to hundreds of thousands of people that have been victimized by cyberstalking in the United States. The report also found that victims of cyberstalking who contacted the National Center for Victims of Crime often complained that they weren’t taken seriously or worse, were not recognized as being victims by the law enforcement agencies that they contacted for help(Gregorie, …show more content…
The information gathered in the form of victim and witness statements, information that is provided by informants, and announcements made through bulletins and broadcasts internally of the law enforcement agencies(What is Probable Cause, 2014). Circumstantial evidence is the category that is used in the majority of police cases. This type of evidence consists of indirect evidence that implies that a crime has occurred, however this evidence does not directly prove it(What is Probable Cause,