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Cybercrimes on Ocean City Campuses

Cybercrimes are offenses that include behaviors like online stalking and cyber bullying. It is the sort of crime that takes place oftentimes on social media sites where an individual is targeted for ridicule and very damaging things may be said about them. These crimes are becoming more common on campuses. If a student is facing cybercrime charges, they should consult an Ocean City student defense lawyer, who can guide them through the legal process.

How Cybercrimes Occur on Ocean City Campuses

On college campuses students often put themselves in really compromising situations because they have consumed too much alcohol or they are taking alcohol and drugs and they aren’t in control of what is happening. The clearest example of that are female students who are being photographed without their clothing on, or when another student is performing some sort of sexual act or having sexual contact with them and they are unconscious or unable to stop what is happening.

Technological Access and Cybercrime

It is a cybercrime if a female student is video recorded, or photographed, and those photographs are being publicly displayed online. It is a complete misuse of social media. It is taking photographs of somebody without their permission and then posting them without their permission. This sort of crime has been made simple because students now have access to so much technology. Students have cameras on their phones and there are now social media sites that make it very easy for them to place photographs or videos for everyone to see.

That technological access, in connection with a lot of students, particularly those in their freshman year of college, and partying and drinking more than they ever did when they were in school or when they were under the supervision of their parents, is a toxic combination. Those things are permanently documented and may never go away. This is something that students do not seem to appreciate, depending on how young they are. They often don’t understand that once something is on the Internet, it is on there forever. The permanence of these acts adds to their seriousness and increases the benefit of consulting an Ocean City student defense lawyer. In these cases a student can maybe remove an image from a site or page that is under their control, but that doesn’t stop it from being out there on the internet for all to see.

How Cybercrime Investigations are Unique

Sometimes cybercrime investigations may require an investigator with expertise in modern computer and internet technology, and an understanding of how to prove that something came from one particular person’s computer. There are investigators who are trained in nothing but that sort of computer technology. These cybercrime investigations may go to very specific investigators. It is possible that a students’ laptop or device could be seized from them, and an investigation done by downloading the contents of the phone. Because the investigation into cybercrime is complex and unique, it is helpful to have the aid of an experienced Ocean City student defense lawyer who can understand and clarify the investigation process.

Cybercrime is a very complicated investigation. It is further complicated by the fact that there are so many programs available that allow people to be able to shield their internet activity. students can create a different e-mail address, or they can even make it look like something came from another student when, in fact, it didn’t. The potential for false accusations is another reasons that the help of a local Ocean City area student defense counsel can be essential in these sorts of cases. There are many software programs and apps available that essentially describe who the actual sender of something is, and that can certainly make investigations very complicated. It creates the scenario where somebody could be wrongly accused of having sent an e-mail or having sent a text when, in fact, they did not.

Common Cybercrimes Charges on College Campuses

One example of a cybercrime would be the online stalking or harassment of another person. That would essentially involve targeting someone and either constantly sending out things or constantly saying things about that person on social media. It also could involve repeatedly texting or posting to somebody’s social media account to the point where it’s harassment. That can be done by posting multiple things or it could be done by posting one thing, but something in such a nature that it’s clearly harassment. It’s done with the intent to embarrass or frighten the recipient.

Another example of a cybercrime is the posting of photographs or videos of other students who are in a compromising position. Maybe they’re passed out from having drunk too much or used drugs, and then photographs or videos are taken of them when someone is having some sort of sexual contact with them or their clothing is removed. They send naked photographs or videos, and the act of doing that is a crime. That could very well be a fourth degree sex offense, an assault charge, or both. Sending those photographs or videos to somebody else’s e-mail account or posting them on social media is a cybercrime.

Get the Help of an Ocean City Student Defense Lawyer

A student defense attorney in Ocean City can advise the student that’s been charged as to what they’re charged with, like what is the actual violation of the code and what the potential consequences would be. The student defense attorney can also advise the student as to what the procedures are so that the student understands what to expect, like whether there will be a hearing, who will hear it,  and what sort of evidence can be presented. Those are all questions that hopefully a student defense attorney could answer.

It’s important for a student to understand that all of those charges can also lead to an investigation and a criminal charge within the criminal justice system. If that’s the case, the student needs to be consulting with an attorney who can represent them in court, help them prepare for what the possible outcomes might be, help them look at the evidence, and determine if there is a defense in how to prepare, and present that defense.

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