A mother who was targeted by so-called online trolls has won backing from the High Court to have her tormentors' identities disclosed.
Nicola Brookes, 45, faced "vicious and depraved" abuse on Facebook after she posted a comment supporting former X Factor contestant Frankie Cocozza when he left the show last year.Her anonymous tormentors set up a fake Facebook profile in her name using her picture to post explicit comments and lure young girls, her solicitor Rupinder Bains said.
Frustrated at what she considered a lack of action by Sussex Police to help track the perpetrators, Ms Brookes decided to go to court.She took her case to the High Court in London where an order was granted last week compelling Facebook to reveal the IP addresses and other information of the people who had abused her.
Once they have been identified, Ms Brookes, a single mother who suffers from Crohn's disease, intends to bring a private prosecution against the abusers.Ms Brookes, from Brighton, East Sussex, said: "I'm going for the strongest possible prosecution against these people."I want them exposed. They exposed me and they invaded my life. I didn't ask for it. They wanted a reaction from me and now they have got it.
"She added it was the "speed and viciousness" of the postings that first alarmed her, along with the lack of action by police.She said: "After posting the comment about Frankie Cocozza, I went back to Facebook about an hour later and there was loads of abuse.
At the time, I thought of it as banter."But after a few days people starting saying to me, 'You're popping up all over the internet.'"People were inciting hatred against me. They weren't just targeting me, they were also dragging young girls into it as well. They weren't playing."
Although Ms Brookes' case is believed to be the first of its kind, there have been others where the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have brought trolls before the courts.They include student Liam Stacey, 21, from Pontypridd, South Wales, who was jailed for 56 days for mocking Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba on Twitter after he collapsed with a heart attack.
Sussex Police said they asked Facebook to remove any abusive posts about Ms Brookes and said their investigation was still continuing and had been reviewed.A police spokesman said: "We have looked at the material sent to us by Ms Brookes and we have told Facebook to remove anything offensive or abusive towards her.
"Facebook said it will supply information such as IP addresses and subscriber names but all demands for information must be backed up by a court order.A Facebook spokesman said:
"There is no place for harassment on Facebook, but unfortunately a small minority of malicious individuals exist online, just as they do offline."We respect our legal obligations and work with law enforcement to ensure that such people are brought to justice."
He got caught.
Frustrated at what she considered a lack of action by Sussex Police to help track the perpetrators, Ms Brookes decided to go to court.She took her case to the High Court in London where an order was granted last week compelling Facebook to reveal the IP addresses and other information of the people who had abused her.
Once they have been identified, Ms Brookes, a single mother who suffers from Crohn's disease, intends to bring a private prosecution against the abusers.Ms Brookes, from Brighton, East Sussex, said: "I'm going for the strongest possible prosecution against these people."I want them exposed. They exposed me and they invaded my life. I didn't ask for it. They wanted a reaction from me and now they have got it.
"She added it was the "speed and viciousness" of the postings that first alarmed her, along with the lack of action by police.She said: "After posting the comment about Frankie Cocozza, I went back to Facebook about an hour later and there was loads of abuse.
At the time, I thought of it as banter."But after a few days people starting saying to me, 'You're popping up all over the internet.'"People were inciting hatred against me. They weren't just targeting me, they were also dragging young girls into it as well. They weren't playing."
Although Ms Brookes' case is believed to be the first of its kind, there have been others where the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have brought trolls before the courts.They include student Liam Stacey, 21, from Pontypridd, South Wales, who was jailed for 56 days for mocking Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba on Twitter after he collapsed with a heart attack.
Sussex Police said they asked Facebook to remove any abusive posts about Ms Brookes and said their investigation was still continuing and had been reviewed.A police spokesman said: "We have looked at the material sent to us by Ms Brookes and we have told Facebook to remove anything offensive or abusive towards her.
"Facebook said it will supply information such as IP addresses and subscriber names but all demands for information must be backed up by a court order.A Facebook spokesman said:
"There is no place for harassment on Facebook, but unfortunately a small minority of malicious individuals exist online, just as they do offline."We respect our legal obligations and work with law enforcement to ensure that such people are brought to justice."
He got caught.
