A Court in Kent has jailed an online stalker and blackmailer for 12 years after he was found and brought to justice.
Evan Prevett, the stalker in question, was caught and prosecuted for his actions. But his ultimate fate was dependent on a number of factors, the absence of any one of which could have led to a totally different outcome.
We are all familiar with the concept of people making friends online. We are also familiar with tales of victims having been groomed to either send or allow others to take intimate pictures of them. Prevett’s undoing was his arrogance and carelessness in giving his victims knowledge of his real identity and location. Secondly, he picked on the wrong girl – and she bravely reported him to Kent Police. Finally, the Police decided to investigate and also decided to make use of the powers at their disposal to seize and examine his laptop to gather the evidence.
Sadly, if just one of the steps outlined above had been different, Prevett would still be at large to develop and refine his criminality on many more female victims.
How does it happen?
There are many more like Prevett who operate online but who do so with far more sophistication, sometimes seeking to exploit and blackmail children. Griffin Law is familiar with cases of hackers using remote access tool software that allows them to gain control of a victim’s computer as if they were physically there. This is installed by the hacker hiding the malware in links, pictures or email attachments that they send to the victim to open. Establishing a very basic level of trust with an unsuspecting victim is all they require because the average level of caution and security employed by online users is low enough to be overcome by the hacker in most cases.
The decision of one victim to fight back, combined with the Police having the resources available, the understanding of the crime and the willingness to use their powers, were all vital. But what about the many other cases where the victim is not so fortunate?
Griffin Law has experience of using the court process to prevent ongoing abuse via injunctions and orders for social media operators to reveal information on the abuser. The threat of jail is not often taken lightly. We also have experience in using the legal process and the clues available to trace an online criminal via the clues they leave on social media. We liaise with the police to supply evidence uncovered in addition to outlining the criminal powers that they have at their disposal.
Griffin Law will offer prompt and professional advice to track down the perpetrator, to bring them to justice and to pursue them for suitable compensation. Contact us today.
