Amend 18 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 7507.1

Prevent the Impact of Virtual Stalking.

Amend 18 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 7507.1

Stalking Law Revised:
(1) "Course of conduct" means 2 or more separate incidents, including, but not limited to, acts in which the person directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means, follows, monitors, observes, surveys, threatens, or communicates to or about another, or interferes with, jeopardizes, damages, or disrupts another's daily activities, property, employment, business, career, education, or medical care.

CYBER STALKING:
It is unlawful for a person to:
Electronically mail or electronically communicate to another and to knowingly make any false statement concerning death, injury, illness, disfigurement, indecent conduct, or criminal conduct of the person electronically mailed or of any member of the person's family or household with the intent to abuse, annoy, threaten, terrify, harass, or embarrass.

A person shall not post a message through the use of any medium of communication, including the internet or a computer, computer program, computer system, or computer network, or other electronic medium of communication, without the victim's consent, if all of the following apply:

Posting the message is intended to cause conduct that would make the victim feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.

Aggravated Stalking, Cyber stalking, Harassment and Invasion of privacy is Applicable when more than one individual(s) work in concert acts described in this section.

Currently language in the law such as aggravated stalking, cyber stalking, aggravated harassment, and aggravated violation of invasion of privacy are not only missing but has not kept up with nefarious uses of technology. Additionally, it would provide provisions for victims less than 18 years of age and violators of protection orders.

New provision for Protection Order for Stalking is required. A Protection Order from Abuse (PFA) requires a stalker be a family member; however, this is not always the case and it does not keep pace with the nefarious use of technology.

New provision for Economic Harm
Economic harm" means all direct, incidental, and consequential pecuniary harm suffered by a victim as a result of criminal conduct. "Economic harm" includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(a) All wages, salaries, or other compensation lost as a result of the criminal conduct;

(b) The cost of all wages, salaries, or other compensation paid to employees for time those employees are prevented from working as a result of the criminal conduct;

(c) The loss of value to tangible or intangible property that was damaged as a result of the criminal conduct ETC.

Action by Crime Stalking Victim Against Stalker Damages Statutes of Limitations.

This new provision for filing a civil law suit to cover damages not covered under restitution. A civil action may be maintained under this section whether or not the individual who is alleged to have violated 18 Pa. C.S. § 2709.1 has been charged or convicted of the alleged crime. Liability under this section shall include the actual damages caused by the violation and may include punitive damages, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees.