Court records show the man accused of stalking and harassing pop star Taylor Swift last month visited her Tribeca apartment more than 30 times, and was arrested three times before he was jailed. David Crowe, 33, is due back in court Wednesday.
While the case involves one of the most famous women in the world, it is otherwise not that unusual. About 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have been stalked at some point in their lives, according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. Yet stalking is a crime that experts say is notoriously hard to police and prosecute.
The reason, experts say, is that many stalking behaviors can pass for normal behaviors — including calling someone on the phone, standing on a public sidewalk near their residence, or sending them a gift. It can be difficult for police or prosecutors to show the victim had cause to feel afraid in order to prove a case.
Gothamist spoke to law enforcement and legal experts to better understand stalking and why it can be hard to stop.
What is stalking?
In New York, stalking is legally defined as “intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose,” directing a repeated behavior at someone that is “likely to cause [them] reasonable fear of material harm.” Crowe is charged with stalking in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor crime punishable by up to three months in jail.
First-degree stalking, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, is when a person hurts someone else — or commits another crime, such as sexual assault — while stalking them.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stalking can look like:
- Following or watching someone who doesn’t want it.
- Approaching someone or showing up when they don’t want it.
- Using GPS to track someone who doesn’t want it.
- Leaving strange or potentially threatening items for someone to find.
- Sneaking into a person’s home or car and letting the person know you were there, or doing things to scare them.
- Using technology to spy on…
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