HUNTINGTON, NY—The Suffolk County Legislature yesterday unanimously backed a measure authored by Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor) that will make Suffolk the first municipality in New York State to criminalize cyberbullying of children.

With the click of a button, cyberbullies inundate the objects of their ridicule with abusive postings and texts, which can be sent out to virtually everyone the victims know. “Children who are victims of cyberbullying emotionally drown in a sea of humiliation, anguish and hopelessness,” Cooper stated. “Since I introduced this bill, I’ve been inundated with calls from distressed parents whose kids have been devastated by cyberbullies. Today we can finally tell them that help is on the way.”

Cooper’s law criminalizes cyberbullying committed against minors under the age of 19. The Legislature also approved a second bill, likewise authored by Cooper, that makes it a crime to “cyberstalk” adults 19 years of age and older. Those convicted of either offense will be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and could face up to a year in jail.

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