6 months' jail for cyber bullying

THE TTPS Cyber Crime Unit is warning the public that they are liable to pay a $2,000 fine or spend six months in jail, if they are caught bullying people online.

Speaking earlier at the weekly police press briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, Cpl Marvin Walker of the unit said over the past year there had been 56 reports of cyber bullying, of which there have been several arrests.

“People are reminded of section 30 subsection 1, of the Offences Against the Person Act,” Walker said, “Harassment of a person includes acting in any way that would be expected to cause an alarm or cause the person distress.

“The TTPS recognises the numerous positive contributions social media has made to national awareness, business, communication and culture. However there are those who choose to use social media platforms for mischievous purposes.”

Along with cyber bullying, the unit has noticed a trend of several other online crimes like phishing – the term used for people who use online scams, saying your systems may be under threat, to gain personal information, and social engineering – the act of using a false online identity to befriend a victim and swindle them out of vital information and money.

Walker added that the unit works closely with the Child Protection Unit in cases where sexual predators use online methods to ensnare children.

“We live in a digital age and everything is something digital, so sexual predators using online methods are very prevalent in TT.”