Sisters suffer stalker’s decade of cyber terror
TWOKiwi sisters who have been targeted by a US-based ‘‘stalker’’ in a decade-long campaign of online harassment are begging for authorities to intervene.
Harriet Campbell, 25, said the harassment began 10 years ago when she met Eric Purnell on an online forum, and he began asking questions about her personal life that made her uncomfortable.
Purnell then allegedly started bombarding Campbell, then aged just 14, with abusive messages from fake accounts, forcing her to quit social media completely.
The situation worsened to the point that the sisters started receiving death and rape threats from an online persona called ‘The Hacker’, an alias the sisters strongly believe was created by Purnell.
This prompted them to complain to police in New Zealand and the US. But US police say they have been unable to prosecute Purnell because the crime was a ‘‘misdemeanour’’.
According to both sisters, Purnell’s focus on them expanded to their entire family, and from 2011, their family-owned business in Tauranga was also targeted.
‘‘It’s a full-time job keeping on top of this,’’ said Alice Campbell. ‘‘Every day I get to the cafe I have to peek through the door before I get in because I’m afraid he’ll be there.
Sunday News tracked Purnell down to the US state of Maryland where, during an hour-long interview, he denied he was behind the harassment and claimed he was also a victim.
He blamed the abuse on someone he referred to as ‘The Hacker’, who had been hacking into his computer and social media accounts to wage this harassment campaign on the Campbell sisters and another 80 of his contacts. ‘‘Because of him my reputation online is being ruined,’’ said Purnell.
An investigative commander for the Salisbury Police Department in Maryland, Jason King, confirmed via email in September 2016 that he had visited Purnell, and also spoke to the man’s therapist to ask him to stop the harassment.
‘‘In light of the international travel and significant expense required to prosecute what is, in essence, a misdemeanour crime, I will be closing this matter with no additional Police action at present,’’ read the email.
NetSafe chief executive Martin Cocker said the Harmful Digital Communications Act which came into effect two years ago would only apply to Purnell if he were a New Zealand resident.
Cocker said NetSafe deals with around 50 cases of online harassment every week.