Online networks are giving stalkers ‘tools to harass’ their victims

SOCIAL media and hackable technology are giving stalkers the “tools to harass” victims, police said as a man was jailed for spying on a woman’s CCTV.

George Coughlan used 61 social media accounts, including 19 fake Instagram profiles, to send abuse to his victim and even managed to hack into her home security camera system.

He was caught when he sent the woman a video showing her relaxing in her own living room.

The victim, who knew Coughlan, called the police and he was arrested on Feb 29. Police seized his phone and discovered that between December and

February Coughlan, 33, had sent hundreds of messages to the woman.

In one sinister message, he told her: “I will mek it my dying breath to mek ur life end too. And his.”

When the victim blocked Coughlan’s messages from one account, he issued another warning using a different profile. Police also discovered he had downloaded 67 video files which he took after hacking into the woman’s CCTV system.

Examinations of Coughlan’s internet search history also revealed he had searched the name of the woman and her partner. He also used phrases including “log into icloud without verification” and “free mobile phone t r acker without user knowing”. Coughlan, of Bilston, Wolverhampton, West Mids, admitted stalking involving serious alarm and distress.

On Friday he was jailed for 21 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court and handed a five-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victim. Inspector Cate Webb-jones, of West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said: “Stalking is a serious crime, an i nvasion of s omeone’s privacy.

“Social media and easily accessible technology, such as spyware to track mobile phones, is giving stalkers more tools to harass victims and potentially put them in more danger.”