Due to the accessibility features of the Internet and its reach across state lines, Internet crimes are considered federal computer crimes and may be punishable with a federal prison sentence. But, due to the nature of the Internet, prosecutors may have a difficult time obtaining a conviction, and a reduction of charges is often possible with a strong criminal defense.

Recently, a 29-year-old Pennsylvania woman became aware of the seriousness of Internet crimes allegations. The young woman was sentenced to five years in a federal prison and to pay $1,500 in fines for allegedly committing Internet crimes. Prosecutors claimed that in September 2006, the woman hired a hit man online from a "hitmanforhire" website. It was said that she asked the hit man kill her ex-boyfriend's current love interest.

The story from prosecutors went like this: apparently, the woman and the hit man agreed to a price of $37,000 to complete the murder. Upon agreement, the suspect paid the hit man a down payment of $19,000 with stolen credit card accounts and PayPal. Prosecutors claimed the woman then accessed the records of her previous employer to obtain the credit card account information. Once the agreement had been made and the down payment paid, the hit man was said to have visited the intended victim, informed her of the deal and offered not to kill her if she would pay him the remaining $18,000.

The 29-year-old woman who was accused of hiring the hit man was arrested in March 2011. In September, she pled guilty to conspiracy to use interstate commerce to commit murder, use of interstate commerce to commit murder, identity theft and other related crimes. The ex-boyfriend's girlfriend was not harmed.

With the increased permeation of the Internet throughout American society, Internet crimes are certainly more common. Still, that doesn't mean individuals who are accused of Internet crimes are guilty. The burden of proof lies upon law enforcement and prosecutors to show that there was criminal intent on the part of the defendant. People who have been charged with committing a crime online, including sharing and linking to child pornography, internet sex crimes, internet drug crimes and chat room luring, will want to be fully aware of the rights provided for the accused under Pennsylvania and federal laws.

Source: 6ABC Action News, "Woman gets 5 years in Pa. online hit man plot," Jan. 13, 2012

Source: lehighvalleylive.com, "Marissa Mark sent to prison for hiring hitman online to kill romantic rival," Jan. 13, 2012