Legislation to increase criminal penalties for stalkers, including cyber-stalkers, who target minors under the age of 18 has been introduced in Congress. The bill – known as the Combat Online Predators Act – would allow federal judges to add up to five additional years of imprisonment to a convicted stalker’s sentence if their victim is under the age of 18. Cyber-stalking, which often involves the sending of harassing emails, text messages, social media posts or even creating websites for the sole purpose of tormenting a victim, was first made a federal crime in 2000 when Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act. The bill is supported by the National Center for Victims of Crime and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
