Marci, a Massachusetts resident, visited a chat room on a local Web site. A legal secretary, she created the username "legalsec" and began chatting. A message popped up from a man named Donnie with the username MetalOne:

"I don't like your name, legalsec."

"So what?" she replied.

MetalOne began to make it his mission to find out more about her, such as her real name, where she lived, and her telephone number.

That was in the fall of 2006.

Marci ended up changing her telephone number to an unlisted one and moved to an apartment in the next town.

Donnie found her new number and began calling. She let the answering machine pick up. He IM'd her [sent her an instant message, which, unlike an e-mail message, which must be retrieved by the recipient, appears on the recipient's screen as soon as it is received], demanding she answer her phone and [warning her] that she had "two weeks."

By then, a court date had been set. Marci had an alarm system installed and got a large dog for protection.

The last week of July 2007, Marci answered the phone. It was Donnie.

"I'm your worst nightmare, bitch. I am going to kill you, you c——t."

In court, Donnie admitted nothing. The case was dismissed.

Marci went to the district attorney's office with proof of threats, both online and offline. In March of 2009, the D.A. filed new charges against Donnie for telephone threats and annoying calls. In court in early May, Donnie finally admitted to what he'd done and was found guilty.

On Memorial Day weekend, Marci looked out her living room window and saw Donnie getting out of his car. He looked drunk and had duct tape in one hand and rope in the other. She immediately tripped her alarm, grabbed her dog's collar, and called the police. They were there within minutes and arrested Donnie. She finally won her case in the summer of 2010. Donnie was ordered to pay her over $20,000 in restitution, but got no jail time.