Crimes, Courts, and Cops

A lawyer's perspective on the pursuit of justice.

by Jim Silver

The Cyberpath to Crime

Can your computer cause you to commit crime?

Published on March 31, 2010 by Jim Silver, J.D. in Crimes, Courts, and Cops

Since you are doing me the courtesy of using the Internet to find my blog, I feel that I should extend you a courtesy by letting you in on a little secret: the Internet can turn you into a criminal. I know, wild idea, but I've seen it. And I don't mean career criminals who are simply using the computer as the latest tool to defraud suckers or arrange drug deals; I mean people like you and me who wind up committing crimes because of their computers.

Here's the skinny: The Internet creates the technological and psychological circumstances that lead some users to carry out crimes they never would have had the means, nerve or inclination to commit in the real world.

Research into the psychological consequences of Internet use is ongoing, but experts have identified several factors that can lead users to do things they otherwise might not in the real world, among them: anonymity, invisibility (even if others know who you are, they still can't see you), the asynchronous nature of communication, and the "distance" between user and target which can relieve the user of normal social contexts. Some experts even believe that users can become addicted to the Internet. The bottom line - no matter what the terminology - is that for some users cyberspace becomes a place to try out all kinds of fantasies and to vent in ways that they would never would in the real world. Some of this will be criminal behavior.

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We see it virtually (no pun intended) every day in the busy criminal firm where I practice; previously law-abiding citizens walk into our offices (or call from jail) weaving incredible tales of woe in which there is a single common thread - Internet use. Sure, some of these folks might have committed crimes anyway, but experience tells me that for some, the Internet just made things so easy, so seductive, that they ignored the normal constraints operating in their lives. Let's face it; the Internet can make things like stalking an ex-lover just so much more convenient. No need to drive around and show up at his work, regular bar or friends' homes - just visit his favorite sites on the Web and let him know you're there. Or not. You can harass him without even letting him know it's you. In fact, you can easily engage others to do your work with some creative posts about your ex and, say, his support for white-supremacy or his sexual preferences. And with so much pornography available with a few keystrokes, is it any wonder that some people eventually decide to sample all of it - including child pornography?

As the Internet becomes ever more integrated into our lives, it is increasingly important to understand all of its potential dangers so that we can make better decisions about everything from how we allocate law-enforcement resources to how we monitor the web-surfing of our children.