Los Angeles city prosecutors have won what they say is the first conviction under a new state law making it illegal to impersonate someone on the Internet. Jesus Felix, 22, pleaded no contest this week to two counts of violating the new impersonation law and one count of making harassing phone calls, the
Los Angeles Times reports.
Felix was charged with creating at least 130 fake accounts on social networking sites to try to harass a 16-year-old former girlfriend, said Deputy City Attorney Tracy Webb of the cyber crime and child abuse prevention unit.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Verestegui sentenced Felix to five years' probation, 30 days' CalTrans work, a one-year suspended jail sentence, counseling, and sex therapy classes.
The judge also ordered Felix to stay away from the victim and have no Internet access during his probation.
Between January and March, Felix created 130 Facebook pages and numerous Craigslist listings using photographs of his former girlfriend. The victim’s mother discovered several online profiles containing her daughter’s contact information, as well as sexually explicit photographs, the Times reports.