{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-152.7_1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-152.7_1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-152.7_1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-152.7_1.html"}],"law_id":66409,"edition_id":1,"section_id":66409,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.7:1","catch_line":"Harassment by computer; penalty","history":"2000, c. 849; 2020, c. 1002; 2022, c. 336.","full_text":"If any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, shall use a computer or computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act, he is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":241046,"text":"If any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, shall use a computer or computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act, he is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13888,"edition_id":1,"name":"Computer Crimes","identifier":"7.1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13243,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:11","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:11","permalink":{"id":165759,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13888,"identifier":"7.1","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1","url":"\/18.2\/5\/7.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13243,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against Property","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":165299,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13243,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/5","url":"\/18.2\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":61215,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.1","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/18.2-152.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.1","metadata":false},{"id":67728,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.11","catch_line":"Article not exclusive","url":"\/18.2-152.11\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.11","metadata":false},{"id":67574,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.12","catch_line":"Civil relief; damages","url":"\/18.2-152.12\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.12","metadata":false},{"id":61553,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.13","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-152.13\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.13","metadata":false},{"id":75179,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.14","catch_line":"Computer as instrument of forgery","url":"\/18.2-152.14\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.14","metadata":false},{"id":61998,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.15","catch_line":"Encryption used in criminal activity","url":"\/18.2-152.15\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.15","metadata":false},{"id":69363,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.16","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-152.16\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.16","metadata":false},{"id":54922,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.2","catch_line":"Definitions; computer crimes","url":"\/18.2-152.2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.2","metadata":false},{"id":55403,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.3","catch_line":"Computer fraud; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.3\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.3","metadata":false},{"id":65981,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.3:1","catch_line":"Transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic mail (spam); penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.3_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.3_1","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Jaynes v. Com.","case_number":"Record 062388.","citation":"666 S.E.2d 303","date":"2008-09-12","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1058457\/jaynes-v-com\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 666 S.E.2d 303 (2008) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Jaynes v. Commonwealth","case_number":"Record 062388.","citation":"662 S.E.2d 502","date":"2008-05-19","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1208176\/jaynes-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 662 S.E.2d 502 (2008) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"Jaynes v. Com.","case_number":"Record 062388.","citation":"657 S.E.2d 478","date":"2008-02-29","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1374657\/jaynes-v-com\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 657 S.E.2d 478 (2008) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Jaynes v. Commonwealth","case_number":"1054054","citation":"634 S.E.2d 357","date":"2006-09-05","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1063170\/jaynes-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 634 S.E.2d 357 (2006) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"4":{"name":"Maxient, LLC v. Symplicity Corp.","case_number":"Civil Action No. 1:14-cv-1184 (AJT\/IDD)","citation":"63 F. Supp. 3d 592","date":"2014-10-23","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7310209\/maxient-llc-v-symplicity-corp\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. MEMORANDUM OPINION .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"5":{"name":"Aitken v. Communications Workers of America","case_number":"1:06cv1161","citation":"496 F. Supp. 2d 653","date":"2007-07-12","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2350492\/aitken-v-communications-workers-of-america\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 496 F.Supp.2d 653 (2007) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"}}}},{"id":86767,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.4","catch_line":"Computer trespass; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.4\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.4","metadata":false},{"id":55981,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.5","catch_line":"Computer invasion of privacy; penalties","url":"\/18.2-152.5\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.5","metadata":false},{"id":82685,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.5:1","catch_line":"Using a computer to gather identifying information; penalties","url":"\/18.2-152.5_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.5_1","metadata":false},{"id":61696,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.6","catch_line":"Theft of computer services; penalties","url":"\/18.2-152.6\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.6","metadata":false},{"id":81717,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.7","catch_line":"Personal trespass by computer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.7\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7","metadata":false},{"id":66409,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.7:1","catch_line":"Harassment by computer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.7_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7_1","metadata":false},{"id":71533,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.7:2","catch_line":"Using computer to commit a scheme involving false representations; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.7_2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7_2","metadata":false},{"id":86652,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.8","catch_line":"Property capable of embezzlement","url":"\/18.2-152.8\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.8","metadata":false},{"id":55168,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.9","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-152.9\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":81717,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.7","catch_line":"Personal trespass by computer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.7\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":71533,"structure_id":13888,"section_number":"18.2-152.7:2","catch_line":"Using computer to commit a scheme involving false representations; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.7_2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7_2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-152.7:1\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 2000. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?001+ful+CHAP0849\">849<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2020, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP1002\">1002<\/a>; in 2022, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?221+ful+CHAP0336\">336<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":165821,"object_type":"law","relational_id":66409,"identifier":"18.2-152.7:1","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7_1","url":"\/18.2-152.7_1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-152.7_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7_1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Harassment by computer; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-152.7:1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>If any <span class=\"dictionary\">person<\/span>, with the <span class=\"dictionary\">intent<\/span> to coerce, intimidate, or harass any <span class=\"dictionary\">person<\/span>, shall use a computer or <span class=\"dictionary\">computer network<\/span> to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act, he is guilty of a Class 1 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nHARASSMENT BY COMPUTER; PENALTY (\u00a7 18.2-152.7:1)\n\nIf any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person,\nshall use a computer or computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar,\nprofane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or\nproposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act, he is\nguilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: 2000, c. 849; 2020, c. 1002; 2022, c. 336.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}