Legal Question in Criminal Law in Illinois

Online Forums and Identity

A friend of mine posed as someone else in an online forum and in doing so was contacted by a man we both know to have been recently charged with sexually assaulting a minor. I feel that information this man shared would probably be relevent to the current investigation into his actions and am trying to encourage my friend to contact the police about her contact with him. However she is afraid to do so because she believes that in impersonating someone else online, she might have done something illegal.

What (if any) are the legal stipulations for posting to an online public forum using someone else's name and likeliness?


Asked on 12/28/06, 2:37 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Zedrick Braden III Ainsworth & Associates PC

Re: Online Forums and Identity

Hello. The issue is whether your friend assumed the identity of an actual person. If she did, then this could be a problem because the actual

person could file a lawsuit for identity theft if they found out about this. However, I cannot imagine the county prosecutor wasting time to investigate this.

Nevertheless, I suggests that your friend have an attorney present, if she decides to report this person to the police. It is always as good idea to have an attorney present in such a situation. Will be happy to discuss this matter further and in more detail.

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Answered on 12/28/06, 5:06 am


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