Cyberbullying can be a serious offense in the state of Texas and could result in a criminal conviction. The Internet is very useful for connecting with people, but many people abuse the system and use the internet as a way to harass others. As a result of this problem, almost every state has established cyberbullying laws. Texas has a law criminalizing certain kinds of online harassment, and in general Texas prohibits any offensive and somewhat harassing behavior that may be communicated by the way of the internet.
Texas defines cyberbullying by the term "online harassment". Sometimes, the courts will also use general online harassment laws to deal with cyberbullying crimes, but most of the time the online harassment statutes located in the Texas Penal Code are used as a guideline. Under Texas Law, it is illegal to create a web page or post on a commercial social networking site in order to harass a victim or to impersonate another person on the internet. If the intent of the impersonator is to harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten a victim, then he or she can be charged with a third degree felony in the state of Texas. This is only considered online harassment if the victim did not consent to the impersonation.
It is also illegal for individuals to cyberbully using the instant messengers online or e-mail accounts. To be convicted of this crime, prosecution must prove that a perpetrator must have intended to make the receiving person believe that the person is the actual sender or approved the cyber communication. The second offense is to harm or defraud any person by way of the message. This crime is a Class A misdemeanor. It is a third-degree felony if emergency personnel get involved because of the threat. If you have been accused of cyberbullying, then you are going to want a Houston internet crimes attorney on your side. Contact Billy Skinner & Associates promptly to get optimal representation in your case!
