Evil eye: Stalkers use technology to track their targets' movements

Stalkers use technology to track their targets' movements

A shadowy figure drives up and down the street in front of her ex-husband's house.

A man sends his former girlfriend a series of threatening text messages.

A college student receives multiple letters and gifts from an unwanted admirer.

Stalking can take many forms, but its goal is always the same, said Molly Woeltje, education outreach coordinator for Safe House for Women.

"It's actions, words, behavior that is meant to instill fear in someone to where they fear they'll be harmed," Woeltje said. "... Any form of abuse, it's all about power and control."

In a 2012 report, the U.S. Department of Justice estimated 3.3 million adults in the United States were victims of stalking during a 12-month period.

Of those, nearly 70 percent knew their stalkers, and more than 28 percent reported being stalked by current or former intimate partners.

Stalking -- which is a felony in Missouri -- often goes hand-in-hand with other forms of domestic violence, Woeltje said.

"Stalking doesn't get a whole lot of attention compared to the other parts of domestic violence ... but it's very much entwined with the rest," she said.

Woeltje said stalking creates a "constant, looming threat," even when the stalker is not present.

"It's like you live in constant fear," she said. "... With physical violence, it could be only when the person's there, and you get a reprieve when you go to your mom's house or you go to work."

Cyberstalking

Smartphones, social networking platforms and online databases make it easy for stalkers to find their victims and track their movements, local law enforcement officers said.

"The tide has kind of turned that way," to more online stalking, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said.

Social networking sites such as Facebook often identify the user's location, and some cellphone cameras attach global positioning coordinates or other location data to photographs.

"All phones, all cellphones, have GPS on them. ... Some apps automatically start the GPS tracking," said Cpl. Darin Hickey of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Hickey and other officers recommended using a search engine to find information about how to disable those features.

"Understand technology. Do a little research out there," said Capt. Rodney Barnes of the Jackson Police Department. "If you own a smartphone, there's certain location services you do not want on there."

Police also advised caution in posting information online.

"Don't announce, 'I'm at such-and-such place, I'm out of town ... I went to such-and-such restaurant,'" said Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf.

That kind of information can alert a stalker to the user's whereabouts, but it also can attract burglars, Schaaf and Barnes said.

"That could signal to a burglar, 'Hey, I can come to your house and take your things,'" Barnes said.

The risks increase when people share too much information with casual online acquaintances, officers said.

"If you're friends with people on Facebook, you should be friends with them in real life," Barnes said.

Walter also recommended parents monitor online communication by children, who may not understand the risk in sharing personal information with people they view as friends.

"I know they want to respect the privacy of their kids, but there's some evil people out there. ... There is really some scary stuff out there," he said.

Stalkers with access to their victims' cellphones -- for instance, an abusive partner or roommate -- can install software that allows them to monitor text messages or calls without the victim's knowledge, Woeltje said.

"It's terrifying if you think about it," she said.

Fighting back

Anyone who suspects stalking should seek help from law enforcement as quickly as possible, police said.

"Contact local law enforcement and get them involved as early as possible, and maybe you can kind of head some of it off," Walter said.

People who believe they are being stalked can file an ex parte order of protection to keep the person from coming near them or contacting them, Woeltje said.

Text messages, email or other digital communications from stalkers give victims electronic proof that can be used in court, she said.

Documentation helps police investigate stalking cases, Hickey said.

"One of the big things we always tell people is to keep your own record. Write down what happened," he said.

Barnes also encouraged victims to trust their instincts.

"If you have a gut instinct that something is wrong, most likely, it is," he said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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