Original Article Long Island police officer charged with cyberstalking ex-girlfriend The Associated Press A Long Island police officer has been charged with hacking into the e-mail account of a woman he met through an online dating service and posing as her in messages sent to himself and to other men. Michael Valentine, 28, of Lake Grove, was arraigned Monday on a 197-count indictment that included charges of stalking, computer trespassing, official misconduct and tampering with evidence. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Valentine met the woman on Match.com in November and dated her for about six weeks before she broke up with him, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said. The officer went into the woman's e-mail account and sent himself a message threatening that her friends would "come out of the bushes with a baseball bat and beat your brains in," prosecutors said. Valentine also sent Match.com messages to 70 men on the dating service to indicate she was romantically interested in them, Spota said. At least twice men showed up at the woman's house to take her out on a date, he said. Spota said computer crimes detectives determined that Valentine used a number of computers, including one that belonged to the Suffolk County Police Department. Valentine's attorney, Paul Gianelli, said he planned to "vigorously defend" his client against the charges. "It certainly comes as a shock to my client to be charged with a crime," Gianelli said. Valentine, who joined the police force in 2002, has been suspended without pay. He was scheduled to return to court on April 20. http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/405821p-343428c.html Suffolk cop busted after ex-lover's cyberstalked BY MICHAEL WHITE DAILY NEWS WRITER Michael Valentine didn't like having his heart broken. So the Suffolk County cop - angry over a breakup - exacted vengeance on his ex-lover by posing as her on the Internet and inviting strange men to her home, authorities said yesterday. Valentine, 28, of Lake Grove, also is accused of hacking into his victim's e-mail account 170 times and filing a false police report against her, authorities said. Described by officials as a "jilted lover," Valentine was arraigned in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead for cyberstalking and was released. The Army vet pleaded not guilty to the 197 charges related to the alleged terror campaign that began in December. The 6th Precinct patrolman had met the woman - described by police as young and attractive - on an online dating service called Match.com. The two dated for about six weeks, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said. The victim then decided to break off the relationship to reunite with her ex-boyfriend, Spota said. Soon, Valentine allegedly figured out her computer passwords using the name of her German shepherd and spied on her personal e-mails - responding to some. He also paid to reactivate her Match.com account, then set up an e-mail address for singles to write to the woman, police said. He allegedly even did some of his dirty work from precinct computers. "Posing as her, he corresponded with at least 70 men on Match.com, falsely indicating the victim's romantic interest in them," Spota said, adding that at least two men showed up at her door to take her out. "On one occasion, her boyfriend was actually present at the time that these men came over," he said. "So you could imagine how she felt." Valentine, whom neighbors described as a nice man who had fought in Iraq before taking the Suffolk County cop job in 2002, had no prior run-ins with the law. "He's not used to being on this side of the aisle," said his lawyer, Paul Gianelli. Valentine faces 28 felony charges, each carrying a maximum of four years in prison, and is suspended without pay. "The men and woman of the police department are being shamed today," said Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer. "Their badge has been tarnished by the actions of this officer." Spota also said Valentine impeded the probe, which was conducted after the victim and her family contacted the police internal affairs bureau. Originally published on April 4, 2006 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-harass4apr04,1,6977034.story?coll=la-headlines-nation Officer Charged With Cyber-Stalking His Ex By Erik German, Newsday April 4, 2006 MELVILLE, N.Y. A police officer seeking revenge against a former girlfriend hacked into the woman's e-mail account, assumed her identity at an online dating service and contacted 70 men, inviting some of them for rendezvous at the woman's home, Suffolk County prosecutors charged Monday in a 197-count indictment. Investigators declined to identify the woman, whom they said discovered the scheme when strangers began appearing at her house, claiming she had solicited their visits via Match.com, the Internet dating service. Suffolk County Dist. Atty. Thomas Spota brought the indictment against Michael Valentine, 28, of Lake Grove, N.Y. It charged him with stalking, computer tampering and aggravated harassment, among other crimes. "This is cyber-terrorism," said Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer, adding that the woman told investigators she feared for her life. "The men and women of the department are being shamed today." Valentine pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was released on his own recognizance. There was no answer Monday at Valentine's home, although the two cars registered in his name were parked in the street in front of the house. Valentine's attorney, Paul Gianelli, did not return phone calls. Prosecutors said Valentine's revenge scheme began in November after a six-week relationship that the couple had begun on Match.com ended. "In return for her leaving him, he hacked into the victim's e-mail account," Spota said. But police said Valentine was no computer whiz. He simply guessed that his former girlfriend had chosen as a password the name of her dog. Match.com spokeswoman Maida Goodman said the company would cooperate with the investigation.