Too many Americans believe in the false security of supposed ‘anonymity’ online. When you behave poorly (or illegally) online, it’s important to understand that your actions can have real-world consequences. Just recently, a 33-year-old man and self-proclaimed online troll was sentenced to serve out at least 44 months in prison for threatening someone on the internet.

Reports show that a person under the online persona of “King of Wrath” was reading reports about activities being conducted by Feuerkrieg Division, a violent extremist, white supremacist group. When the King of Wrath read a report that suggested the group was wrong for advocating for violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community and minorities, he allegedly lost control and started typing up online threats against the journalist who wrote the article.

Per court records, the suspect attempted to scare the journalist into retracting the story. The purpose of the intimidation and harassment was to stop the reporting, quell free speech, and allow the extremist group to continue to commit violence without consequence. The suspect supposedly called the journalist a “Race Traitor” publicly.

The journalist was reportedly so derailed by the threats that he contacted the police. Authorities promptly connected the “King of Wrath” to Nicholas Welker, an individual who is also known as the leader of the group mentioned in the article. Considering the racial nature of the attacks, the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force got involved in the situation. For attempting to intimidate the journalist, Welker has been sentenced to serve 44 months in prison.

Have You Been Accused of Cyber Bullying or Another Cyber Crime?

Online harassment, bullying, and threats aren’t the only online actions that can result in criminal charges. You can also get charged with a crime if you use the internet to misuse someone’s personal information, use fake emails to steal data from individuals, misuse websites or networks to steal data, shut down websites maliciously, distribute illegal content, spread hate, incite terrorism, or otherwise use the internet or website to facilitate another type of crime.

Another rising form of cyber crime is the illegal release of someone’s personal information online with the purpose of causing harm to the person.

Doxxing can result in stalking, intimidation, and even violent crime. It usually involves publicly disclosing someone’s location or where they work with the intent that other internet users will use the information to cause harm to the person.

If you’ve recently been accused of committing a cyber crime, then it’s important to hire a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Often, you’re not as anonymous as you think you are when you’re using the internet, and cybercrimes are taken very seriously under the law. Here at Bukh Law Firm, our team of experienced criminal defense attorneys in Brooklyn can help you better understand your charges and the potential defense strategies available to you based on your circumstances.

Schedule a call with our team now to learn more about how we can help you navigate your cybercrime charges.