In order for a victim of stalking to obtain a restraining order from their harasser, the victim is required to go to family court and prove a previous intimate relationship with the accused. But in the digital age, stalking has evolved — as virtual and often anonymous predators resort to digitized means of harassment such as the posting of revenge porn and the doxxing of sensitive information on social media channels — leaving many unprotected from online harassment if they can’t prove an intimate relationship with their harasser.
A new bill introduced by Bronx Assemblymember Nathalia Fernandez and New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (of Brooklyn) seeks to modernize the state’s anti-stalking laws so that victims of online harassment can more easily obtain restraining orders without having to provide an intimate relationship with their harasser by expanding family court jurisdiction.
