New Jersey Creates Cyber Harassment Statute

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark

There have been recent developments to New Jersey Harassment Statutes that
all people with cell phones, computers and internet social media access
should be aware of.

As of January 1, 2014, N.J.S.A 2c:33.1 creates the Cyber Harassment Statute.
Violation of the Statute takes place when someone uses Internet social media
such as Facebook or any other electronic means to communicate social network
harassing communication which causes  physical or emotional injury.   In
other words, posting pictures of people, in particular, sexually
inappropriate pictures, or pictures of body parts on other people’s
websites, in emails, on Twitter and/or Instagram can be considered
harassment even if there is no communication.   The Legislature’s purpose
was to protect people from the emotional harm and intimidation caused by the
sending and receiving of the photographs that are sexual in nature.  This
Statute will be used in many domestic violence restraining order charges
wherein cell phones, social media and any other computer Internet
communication is used.