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Measure makes prank calls a crime
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Posted on Jan 26 2001
Pranksters may soon learn their lesson well — the hard and expensive way.
Citing the need to protect the privacy of Northern Marianas residents, the Legislature is proposing to criminalize use of telephone and electronic mail with the intention of harassing any individual.
The legislative measure filed by Rep. Rosiky Camacho prohibits a person from using telephone or electronic mail in any manner with a certain intent to malign or make someone feel uncomfortable.
House Bill 12-206, also called the Telephone and Electronic Misuse Statute, seeks to penalize violators with a minimum of one year jail term and a fine of not more than $0.5 million in damages.
Mr. Camacho said the measure was aimed at discouraging violation of one’s private life, through the use of telecommunications system like the telephone and computer.
He averred that the proposed measure would also protect individuals from abuse and harassment.
The Telephone and Electronic Mail Misuse Statute is an addition to the Commonwealth Code under Section-6 which prohibits the unlawful use of telephone facilities or similar electronic communication.
Anonymous calls or written messages aimed to annoy, abuse, torment, harass, or embarrass an individual or comments, request, suggestion or proposal which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent will be crime under the provisions of HB 12-206.
In addition to the protection offered by HB 12-206, Mr. Rosiky warned that charges will be filed against individuals who cause a telephone inoperable during the commission of a crime of violence under another legislative measure — HB 12-203.
Otherwise known as Deprivation of Communication Statute, HB 12-203 aims to legally charged an individual who may have tampered with telephone lines, or have disconnected the telephone unit to carry out any criminal act.
Under the bill, individuals who refuse to help a victim to use any communication facilities can also be held liable and be properly slapped with criminal charges.
