A man in his 50s began online stalking of a 13-year-old Bucks County girl, who was his child’s friend. He posted photos of her and said he wanted to marry her. After pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, he was sentenced to probation. Then he began stalking the girl again.
This is the type of situation that state Rep. Shelby Labs (R-Doylestown) hopes to end. Labs and other Republican state representatives introduced a series of bills to make stalking someone, child or adult, more onerous for the perpetrator and protective of the victims.
Stalking affects one in three women and one in six men in the U.S., Labs said.
“It can lead to psychological trauma, social isolation, fear and the disruption of daily life,” said Labs. “Though many people know their stalker, that is not always the case. With the growth of social media and the ability to easily obtain information about someone, it is imperative that we make sure our laws are effectively protecting victims.”
She said the legislation results from months of collaboration with law enforcement and victims. The goal is to close the gaps in the state’s current laws, she said, and “give law enforcement the tools they need.”
Labs said her amendment would make the offense of stalking when someone “knowingly or recklessly places a person in fear of bodily injury.” She also proposes a nonpublic database for law enforcement of people convicted of domestic violence offenses, including aggravated assault, strangulation and stalking, to notify law enforcement and victims’ advocates of information such as the offender obtaining a new job, new vehicle or residence, phone number or aliases. It would also create funds for a police civilian community relations specialist.
Rep. Kristin Marcell (R-Richboro) mentioned the stalking statistics, adding, “I am part of that statistic…I had an acquaintance stalker many years ago.” When she shares her story, other women often tell her they’ve also been the victims of stalkers. “We have much work to do in the commonwealth on this issue.”
“As we stand here, thousands of individuals are living in fear,” she said. “Stalking is a form of predatory behavior that robs people of their sense of security and can have devastating, life-altering consequences. Unfortunately, as technology has evolved, so too have the methods used by stalkers to harass their victims.”
Her bill would address online stalking through social media. Nowadays, a stalker can “hide behind screens, harassing their victims from a distance, often without fear of consequences.”
Marcell’s bill would allow judges to deny stalkers access to social media when the victim gets a protection from abuse order (PFA) against them, offering immediate protection before a criminal conviction is handed down.
“Together, we can take meaningful action to protect the safety and dignity of every Pennsylvanian,” said Marcell.
State Rep. KC Tomlinson (R-Bensalem) said, “Too often, it takes someone being at extreme risk or even hurt before something can be done. Many years ago, stalking took much more work. Today, predators can open up a cell phone, go to a social media platform and find whoever they are looking for. This is not a partisan issue. It’s about making sure stalking victims have the protection they need, and our police and prosecutors have the ability to provide those protections.”
Her bill would impose a mandatory minimum 5-year prison sentence for any defendant convicted of a second or subsequent stalking offense.
Rep. Natalie Mihalek (R-Allegheny) sponsored a bill to expand a bill that now protects victims under 18 to adults to allow them to get a protection from abuse orders if they are the victims of stalking or harassment.
More than 7.5 million people are stalked in the U.S. each year, but unless there is a direct element of sexual violence, adults have little or no legal protection.
“One in four victims report they were afraid of being killed by their stalker,” said Mihalek. “And more than ¾ know their stalkers, meaning the threat is a constant, invasive presence in their everyday lives.”
Stalking victims feel anxiety, depression and PRTD, she said. It can also disrupt their ability to work, causing one in eight to lose their jobs.
‘We are affirming that no one, regardless of age, should be forced to endure such terror without the protection of the law,” said Mihalek. “We all want to ensure that no child or adult falls through the cracks.”
Rep. Abby Major (R-Armstrong) said children who are stalked can suffer “serious emotional and physical harm.”
It can result in grooming, gradually building trust until engaging in inappropriate conversations or meeting requests.
The bill, inspired by the Bucks County case recounted above, increases stalking from a misdemeanor to a felony when the victim is four years younger than the offender.
“Child predators should not be given a slap on the wrist,” said Major.’
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