Interstate Text Harassment

[Dakotah]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: South Dakota and California

I live in South Dakota and the person harassing me lives in California.

Since July 2017, on 3 separate occasions, I have received vile and threatening (and very long and detailed) text messages from an ex girlfriend of a man I was dating. She has threatened me with slanderous and obscene name-calling (rapist, molester, thief, trespasser, alcoholic, drug addict). There have been threats to have me arrested for multiple reasons, and at times she has taken my ex's phone without his knowledge and sent messages from that. She has a history of doing this to others via social media, which I quickly found out with only minimal online research. The first time it happened, I responded. The last two times I have not. The first time I was still in a relationship with this man, the last two incidents came after we had split.

I have been told she is unstable by several acquaintances (including my ex himself and their son), and while I want to hope that she she won't follow through, I do not know that for sure...and that scares me tremendously. I felt forced to tell my four daughters about this woman's behavior because I was seriously afraid she would contact them as well. When this began my youngest was only 20 and this worried me and still does. Having to share her texts with the horrific language wasn't easy for me.

The bottom line is that this woman scares me to death. I am a church secretary and if she started to contact others with her slanderous statements, it would be horribly embarrassing for me. After receiving her latest text today, I instantly went into fear mode that she will contact those around me and most importantly, my daughters. Knowing I can't stop her sends me into a panic. Blocking her, which of course makes sense, will not stop her from contacting others. That is the problem. At least if she isn't blocked I can be ready in defense mode if she does more than just threaten. This is no way to live!

I understand that California has strict laws against text harassment and I am wondering how to proceed with some type of legal action against her. Without a serious legal response of some sort from me, she will not stop and that is why I need to press charges in some way. I feel like this is emotional and psychological abuse because she knows how these texts will affect me, and yet continues to send them. I should not have to live in fear of this woman.

Thank you in advance for any help.

[Mr. Knowitall]

If you make a report to the police, there will be a record of the threats and statements. You should not expect that the police will attempt to prosecute somebody in another state over text messages alone.

You should block her.

[zags4champs]

Happened to me with a malicious telecommunications charge out of MI from texts and emails sent from OR. One time occasion too.

Also, in many states 2 or more unwanted communications is also considered stalking. You aren’t from MI, but in this state they go hard on that stuff. You would be able to get a PPO at the very least, and she would be prosecuted for a violation at the very least if she continued contacting you. Not sure how it works elsewhere though.

All else failing, you could always call her out publically on social media (not by name but by indirect reference). Sociopaths HATE getting called out and exposed. Plus it lets them know other people are watching the dynamic if they try to do something shady and subversive. Worked to stop the same behavior for me.

[Shadowbunny]

Happened to me with a malicious telecommunications charge out of MI from texts and emails sent from OR. One time occasion too.

Also, in many states 2 or more unwanted communications is also considered stalking. You aren’t from MI, but in this state they go hard on that stuff. You would be able to get a PPO at the very least, and she would be prosecuted for a violation at the very least if she continued contacting you. Not sure how it works elsewhere though.

All else failing, you could always call her out publically on social media (not by name but by indirect reference). Sociopaths HATE getting called out and exposed. Plus it lets them know other people are watching the dynamic if they try to do something shady and subversive. Worked to stop the same behavior for me.

That is phenomenally bad advice. Escalating the situation is not the way to go.