Cyberstalking comes under the typology of cyber-violence, which is an online behaviour that leads or constitutes to assault against the well-being of an individual, or a group (Herring, 2002). As, cyberstalking is involved using the internet to gather personal information about the victim, this is a violation of privacy creating a form of intimidation leading to in some cases explicit threats. This can affect the victims’ emotion, psychological and physical well-being. Ellison and Akdeniz (1998) had constructed the term cyberstalking as an online harassment, due to the crucial component of harassment being a repetitive behaviour. The main element of this case is ‘cyberstalking’ with the involvement of ‘harassment’. This brings in theory by Ellison & Akdeniz (1998), as the harassment of Rosica was repetitive until reported. In addition, other claims stated, “seven other women have told authorities that he also harassed them in a similar fashion to the victim in the criminal case”.

The first theory that is going to be discussed is, ‘Space Transition Theory (STT)’ (Jaishankar, 2008) which was created to demonstrate the causation of crimes in cyberspace. STT is an explanation about the nature of the behaviour of the individual who brings out their non-conforming and conforming behaviour in the physical and cyberspace. This theory argues that people tend to behave differently when moving from one space to another.

The second theory is ‘Liquid Modernity’ developed by Bauman. In liquid modernity, the web has a momentary value, the past and future become meaningless as coordinates of the psychological life of the individuals’ present (Bauman, 2009). The reason and reality tend to break down the subject having the illusion of being omnipotent, omnipresent and immortal (Carabellese et al., 2014). Therefore, on the web, the other cannot be met as a real person but in terms of an empty simulacrum, convenience and appearance (Baudrillard, 1981), lacking its own identity defined in its spatial and temporal coordinates (Cassinari, 2005).

Space Transition Theory concludes seven key postulates, (1) person, with repressed criminal behaviour (in the physical space) have a propensity to commit a crime in cyberspace which they would not commit in physical space, due to their status and position. Due to Rosica being an ex-cop restricted him committing a behaviour in physical space, as he had to maintain his status and position of being an ex-cop. (2) Identity flexibility, dissociative anonymity and the lack of deterrence factor in the cyberspace provides offenders with the choice to commit cybercrime. Rosica had the accessibility to create a fake online identity in which he did (Katy Jones), this was the identity flexibility factor. This meant that his real identity was hidden/