Telephone Harassment & Oregon Law and Sentencing

In Oregon, telephone harassment, called "telephonic harassment," is defined by state law as a caller intentionally harassing or annoying a recipient by calling with no intention to communicate or calling after being forbidden by the recipient to do so.

Harassment

• Under Oregon law, threatening, abusive, obscene or anonymous telephone calls constitute telephonic harassment. Examples can include calling continually, making lewd, indecent or obscene comments, suggestions or requests over the telephone, the caller refusing to identify himself and calling and breathing heavily or not speaking at all in an effort to intimidate.

Prevention/Solution

• If you are a victim of telephonic harassment contact the police immediately. Keep a record of each call, including the time and date, description of the caller's voice and what, if anything, was said. If the police can identify the caller, they will forward the case to your local district attorney's office for prosecution.

Sentencing

• In Oregon, telephonic harassment is a class B misdemeanor. According to Oregon Sentencing Guidelines, someone convicted for the first time of a class B misdemeanor may be sentenced to serve up to six months in jail and pay up to $2,500 in fines (as of 2010).