The cyberstalking case was dismissed.
Dec. 24th, 2011 09:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusThe United States of America vs. Cassidy cyberstalking case was dismissed.
Other than the fact that it's my own teacher who's had to endure as many as 350 nasty and threatening @JALPalyul tweets a day (you may not realize that if you type "@ThePersonYouWantToReach" it will turn up in their Tweet stream -- unless you've already been blocked; multiple sockpuppets every day can get around being blocked, as her stalker discovered) --
-- but other than the fact it's her --
I can't help but think about the women in fandom I know who have abusive or controlling husbands, boyfriends, or difficult family lives. For the ones I know, fandom is an escape, a safety valve, a place they can build friendships without having the abuser step in. Abusers typically cut off friendships and isolate women. Helps them consolidate their power. They're often subtle about it: they might belittle the friends and mock their wives poor taste until that friend is gone. I once wrote a story for someone who told me privately that she was being abused by her brother and her (overworked) mother refused to believe he was violent. I know more than one woman whose values don't match their husbands' or families', so online is where they can go.
Women shouldn't have to hide online in the first place. But if they do, their abuser shouldn't be able to chase them down, stalk them, and abuse them there.
The story with Bill Cassidy
The story with Bill Cassidy is he ran a Tibetan Buddhist blog. Temple members got to know him online and learned (from him) that he had a potentially terminal illness. So he was invited to stay and be cared for at the temple in Arizona. He claimed to be a Tibetan tulku (a reincarnate Lama), titling himself Lama Tenpa Rinpoche, and was treated accordingly. He didn't act like a tulku though. He slammed other Buddhist teachers and began a pursuit of Jetsunma that was highly inappropriate, managing to offend her kids and others close to her. There was no basis, yet he claimed Jetsunma was going to be his 13th wife. I think he was a phony who was hoping to legitimize himself by marrying someone with a real recognition. Although he was supposed to be ill, people started to notice he showed no signs of actually being sick, lol.
So the temple contacted His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in India about him and started digging into his background. His Holiness said he's never heard of an American tulku named Tenpa; the check into Cassidy's background revealed he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He'd served a year in prison for assaulting his ex-wife and attempting to burn her place of business down (the assault apparently was pled down from rape).
Yeah, no, not exactly the Dalai Lama.
He fled with the help of a friend of mine (sigh). Temple members did what responsible citizens do, and told the police where he went. Bill Cassidy was arrested for violating his probation. He went back to prison to serve the remaining year of his sentence.
When he got out in 2009, the jilted psycho started cyberstalking Jetsunma and the temple, full-time. He was living off a friend of mine (she'd contacted me to write a letter to plea for his release from prison at one point; I said no). Cassidy tried to organize a group of disaffected ex-temple members (I was one of the ones contacted while I was studying at UVA; I said no) to conduct a coordinated anti-Jetsunma campaign. Two I know I participated for a time, but gave it up after a few months. He even tried to contact Jetsunma's ex-husband and get him involved (the ex refused).
Over 8,000 vicious Tweets directly aimed at Jetsunma, and those were just the ones from Bill. Posted things like "Do the world a favor. Go kill yourself." His girlfriend (my friend, sigh...) did the same. He set up a stream of different sockpuppets to attack Jetsunma, getting around Twitter's system of blocking. You can get in a half day's worth of Tweets in before you get blocked. He masqueraded as Jetsunma at one point until Jetsunma got a verified Twitter account and Twitter shut him down. Several of his IDs were also shut down by Twitter for abusing their TOS. But there was always another one....
As one of my fandom friends pointed out, Cassidy not only attacked Jetsunma, he would go after anyone who defended her. He also established multiple other Twitter identities trying to build his following as a Guru, trying out various religions. (I got into a debate with his failed attempt to present himself as an Advaita Hindu.)
The attacks weren't solely online, but the temple had recourse against the stuff at the temple and Jetsunma's house. When my two friends met with me at UVA to convince me to join in, they mentioned temple fire code violations ("All those offering candles!"). The plan was to try to shut the temple down. The temple in fact was cited for fire code violations but allowed to remain open so long as we keep a fire watch, which we do.
All this because the guy wanted to use Jetsunma as his patsy, and was refused.
The Maryland State's Attorney got interested in the case and last year Cassidy was arrested under a new cyberstalking law.
Cassidy was released on December 22nd.
Jetsunma has gone to ground. From her:
You know what? A woman should be able to tell an unwanted "suitor" no, without receiving years of abuse.
Other than the fact that it's my own teacher who's had to endure as many as 350 nasty and threatening @JALPalyul tweets a day (you may not realize that if you type "@ThePersonYouWantToReach" it will turn up in their Tweet stream -- unless you've already been blocked; multiple sockpuppets every day can get around being blocked, as her stalker discovered) --
-- but other than the fact it's her --
I can't help but think about the women in fandom I know who have abusive or controlling husbands, boyfriends, or difficult family lives. For the ones I know, fandom is an escape, a safety valve, a place they can build friendships without having the abuser step in. Abusers typically cut off friendships and isolate women. Helps them consolidate their power. They're often subtle about it: they might belittle the friends and mock their wives poor taste until that friend is gone. I once wrote a story for someone who told me privately that she was being abused by her brother and her (overworked) mother refused to believe he was violent. I know more than one woman whose values don't match their husbands' or families', so online is where they can go.
Women shouldn't have to hide online in the first place. But if they do, their abuser shouldn't be able to chase them down, stalk them, and abuse them there.
The story with Bill Cassidy
The story with Bill Cassidy is he ran a Tibetan Buddhist blog. Temple members got to know him online and learned (from him) that he had a potentially terminal illness. So he was invited to stay and be cared for at the temple in Arizona. He claimed to be a Tibetan tulku (a reincarnate Lama), titling himself Lama Tenpa Rinpoche, and was treated accordingly. He didn't act like a tulku though. He slammed other Buddhist teachers and began a pursuit of Jetsunma that was highly inappropriate, managing to offend her kids and others close to her. There was no basis, yet he claimed Jetsunma was going to be his 13th wife. I think he was a phony who was hoping to legitimize himself by marrying someone with a real recognition. Although he was supposed to be ill, people started to notice he showed no signs of actually being sick, lol.
So the temple contacted His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in India about him and started digging into his background. His Holiness said he's never heard of an American tulku named Tenpa; the check into Cassidy's background revealed he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He'd served a year in prison for assaulting his ex-wife and attempting to burn her place of business down (the assault apparently was pled down from rape).
Yeah, no, not exactly the Dalai Lama.
He fled with the help of a friend of mine (sigh). Temple members did what responsible citizens do, and told the police where he went. Bill Cassidy was arrested for violating his probation. He went back to prison to serve the remaining year of his sentence.
When he got out in 2009, the jilted psycho started cyberstalking Jetsunma and the temple, full-time. He was living off a friend of mine (she'd contacted me to write a letter to plea for his release from prison at one point; I said no). Cassidy tried to organize a group of disaffected ex-temple members (I was one of the ones contacted while I was studying at UVA; I said no) to conduct a coordinated anti-Jetsunma campaign. Two I know I participated for a time, but gave it up after a few months. He even tried to contact Jetsunma's ex-husband and get him involved (the ex refused).
Over 8,000 vicious Tweets directly aimed at Jetsunma, and those were just the ones from Bill. Posted things like "Do the world a favor. Go kill yourself." His girlfriend (my friend, sigh...) did the same. He set up a stream of different sockpuppets to attack Jetsunma, getting around Twitter's system of blocking. You can get in a half day's worth of Tweets in before you get blocked. He masqueraded as Jetsunma at one point until Jetsunma got a verified Twitter account and Twitter shut him down. Several of his IDs were also shut down by Twitter for abusing their TOS. But there was always another one....
As one of my fandom friends pointed out, Cassidy not only attacked Jetsunma, he would go after anyone who defended her. He also established multiple other Twitter identities trying to build his following as a Guru, trying out various religions. (I got into a debate with his failed attempt to present himself as an Advaita Hindu.)
The attacks weren't solely online, but the temple had recourse against the stuff at the temple and Jetsunma's house. When my two friends met with me at UVA to convince me to join in, they mentioned temple fire code violations ("All those offering candles!"). The plan was to try to shut the temple down. The temple in fact was cited for fire code violations but allowed to remain open so long as we keep a fire watch, which we do.
All this because the guy wanted to use Jetsunma as his patsy, and was refused.
The Maryland State's Attorney got interested in the case and last year Cassidy was arrested under a new cyberstalking law.
Cassidy was released on December 22nd.
Jetsunma has gone to ground. From her:
"Hello! Hearing that my friends are worried, I’d like to say that I am already in a safe secure place and surrounded by friends. I’ve gone underground as “U.S. vs. Cassidy” was dismissed.
I don’t know how long I must hide.
"But I think of all women, and what we are forced to endure, and I cry for us all. We must continue to support each other, and advocate for woman’s rights and freedom from abuse. We must change the laws and therefore change the world. All beings are equal in nature and we have the right to defend ourselves.
"I’ll be moving again soon. This is a way to be safe while the wheels of justice move forward, and strong women are upheld according to their contributions and gifts. Not destroyed for their strength by men with no respect and no love. My Lineage will support me, and women’s advocates as well. My tears are for those women who have no one. Please look for advocacy groups. You have a right to your own life free of fear and cruelty! And a right to live in peace."
You know what? A woman should be able to tell an unwanted "suitor" no, without receiving years of abuse.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-24 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-08 01:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-25 01:13 am (UTC)It just tells WC 'keep doing what you're doing 'cause it's okay'.
I hope Jetsunma stays safe.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-08 01:22 am (UTC)The biggest difference is that a troll isn't someone who knows where you live in RL. The next difference is that a troll will eventually go away if ignored.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-25 04:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-08 01:23 am (UTC)