United States v. Sayer
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
748 F.3d 425 (2014)
Shawn Sayer (defendant) physically stalked his ex-girlfriend for years after their breakup, then created fake online profiles impersonating her, posted intimate photographs of her on pornographic websites, and solicited casual sexual encounters at her home, causing strange men to show up at her door and eventually forcing her to relocate and change her name, which Sayer then exposed online. Sayer pleaded guilty to federal cyberstalking but appealed, arguing the statute's application to his Internet communications violated his First Amendment right to free speech.
Whether a federal cyberstalking statute that criminalizes Internet-based harassment and impersonation violates the First Amendment when the online communications were integral to carrying out the underlying harassment scheme.