Dr Jessica Taylor, a 36-year-old chartered psychologist and author, was delivering a speech when she noticed a woman sitting alone, watching intently. Four years later, that same woman became the subject of an interim civil court order for stalking and harassment after a sustained campaign that nearly drove Jessica to suicide.
Jessica, founder of VictimFocus and author of bestselling books like Sexy But Psycho and Why Women Are Blamed For Everything, says: "She was just a face in the crowd. But with a phone in her hand, she became incredibly dangerous. And her actions online had severe real world consequences."
The Campaign of Terror
In 2022, the woman began posting about Jessica online, recruiting a group of strangers who created fake profiles, websites, WhatsApp groups, and held Zoom meetings to spread rumours that Jessica was a trafficker, paedophile, and abused her wife. The posts included messages like, "Let's end this c**t."
Jessica says: "I was investigated many times by the British Psychological Association. I lost friends, several colleagues never spoke to me again and I almost lost my job. My hair was falling out, I couldn't sleep. By September, the trauma drove me to try to take my own life."
The Power of Cyberstalking
Jessica highlights how cyberstalking differs from in-person stalking: "You are traumatised 24/7 in ways that you can't escape. You can't run away from an online stalker. You can't move house. You can't even move country. They're actually in a more powerful position than in-person stalkers, because they don't have to put themselves at risk."
Data from the National Library of Medicine in America shows that online stalkers are more likely to be educated professionals—teachers, doctors, lawyers—and are more commonly women than men.
Escalation and Impact
In early 2023, a woman contacted Jessica saying she'd been added to a WhatsApp group where a lesbian dating profile had been made about Jessica to groom other accounts. Her holiday photos were stolen and sold online, profiling her as a sugar baby. The group of women involved in the harassment grew.
When a man contacted Jessica saying he'd bought her photos, she reported it to the police, resulting in harassment warnings. But matters escalated: "My stalker and her associates were watching me night and day, constantly finding out where I was giving speeches. Then they would contact the venues ahead of time and lie, telling them I was under investigation by the police, or that I was dangerous."
Jessica's wife's car registration was posted online, and the group tried to find out the paternity of her children. The stalker posted that Jessica was abusing her wife, even contacting her wife's family. Jessica says: "It was sickening. My wife was horrified."
In-Person Abuse
Jessica also suffered in-person abuse: "A separate woman who had become obsessed with me online put her hand inside my underwear at a professional event and told me she'd always wanted to do it. I was incredibly traumatised. Frightened to leave the house—I did at times worry for my life."
After 18 months, in August 2023, the main perpetrator was placed under an interim court order. Jessica describes the months of abuse as "one of the most twisted forms of trauma I've ever had to go through." She says: "I was trapped in somebody else's fantasy about me. None of what was being said was real."
Social Media as a Weapon
Jessica says social media has made stalking a team sport, "gamifying hostility and hatred." The woman who targeted her and her seven recruits wreaked havoc. One woman befriended Jessica, asked about being stalked, and met her on a video call where Jessica admitted to feeling suicidal. The bullies then put all her messages in a zipped folder and sent them to hundreds of people.
The stalking stopped after the interim order, but Jessica says it started again in early 2024. She has written her book, Click. Stalk. Destroy. Inside the Minds of People Who Stalk Online, to raise awareness.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said the force takes all reports of stalking and harassment seriously and is committed to supporting victims and gathering evidence to bring offenders to justice.
