In this day and age, it is not uncommon for people to use some form of social media on a daily basis. Florida has laws in place to combat cyber stalking and other forms of harassment online, but the laws regarding social media posts are a bit unclear. Recently, a woman was able to get a no contact order against a man who was harassing her under the guise of protest.
The woman was an outspoken supporter of strict penalties and regulations for convicted sex offenders. This drew the ire of a man who feels that being convicted of such a crime should not follow a person for a lifetime. The man made videos and social media posts clearly directed at the victim, but since social media posts are considered to be a public forum, current law does not always allow the subject of such posts to get a no contact order.
While the woman was trying to get a court to stop the man from making more nasty posts, he took his anger a bit further. He began showing up in person and harassing her at public appearances. She hired personal security to accompany her because she was afraid. The man maintained that he was exercising his right to protest, but law enforcement determined that his actions were aimed at the woman personally, attacking her rather than her opinion.
A Florida resident who has reason to fear another individual may want to look into a no contact order. Even though the law allows a person to make social media posts about an individual, such an order can prevent direct contact, such as emails, direct messages and physical contact. An attorney can help the victim of harassment present his or her case to the court and get an order to stop the aggression and prevent further incidents of abuse by an aggressor.