{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/18.2-152.5_1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/18.2-152.5_1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/18.2-152.5_1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/18.2-152.5_1.html"}],"law_id":350351,"edition_id":2,"section_id":350351,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.5:1","catch_line":"Using a computer to gather identifying information; penalties","history":"2005, cc. 747, 760, 761, 827, 837.","full_text":"A\n\nIt is unlawful for any person, other than a law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 9.1-101, and acting in the performance of his official duties, to use a computer to obtain, access, or record, through the use of material artifice, trickery or deception, any identifying information, as defined in clauses (iii) through (xiii) of subsection C of § 18.2-186.3. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class 6 felony.\n\nB\n\nAny person who violates this section and sells or distributes such information to another is guilty of a Class 5 felony.\n\nC\n\nAny person who violates this section and uses such information in the commission of another crime is guilty of a Class 5 felony.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1305381,"text":"It is unlawful for any person, other than a law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 9.1-101, and acting in the performance of his official duties, to use a computer to obtain, access, or record, through the use of material artifice, trickery or deception, any identifying information, as defined in clauses (iii) through (xiii) of subsection C of § 18.2-186.3. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class 6 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1305382,"text":"Any person who violates this section and sells or distributes such information to another is guilty of a Class 5 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":1305383,"text":"Any person who violates this section and uses such information in the commission of another crime is guilty of a Class 5 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":50141,"edition_id":2,"name":"Computer Crimes","identifier":"7.1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":8,"parent_id":50135,"metadata":{"child_laws":19,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:23:11","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:18","permalink":{"id":1392761,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50141,"identifier":"7.1","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1","url":"\/18.2\/5\/7.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50135,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes Against Property","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":5,"parent_id":50131,"metadata":{"child_laws":153,"child_structures":10},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:22:59","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:17","permalink":{"id":1392301,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50135,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/5","url":"\/18.2\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50131,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":52,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":960,"child_structures":94},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:22:59","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:15","permalink":{"id":1391141,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50131,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":350338,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.1","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/18.2-152.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.1","metadata":false},{"id":350339,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.11","catch_line":"Article not exclusive","url":"\/18.2-152.11\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.11","metadata":false},{"id":350340,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.12","catch_line":"Civil relief; damages","url":"\/18.2-152.12\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.12","metadata":false},{"id":350341,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.13","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-152.13\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.13","metadata":false},{"id":350342,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.14","catch_line":"Computer as instrument of forgery","url":"\/18.2-152.14\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.14","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Campbell v. 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Virginia"}}}},{"id":350344,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.16","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-152.16\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.16","metadata":false},{"id":350346,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.2","catch_line":"Definitions; computer crimes","url":"\/18.2-152.2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.2","metadata":false},{"id":350347,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.3","catch_line":"Computer fraud; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.3\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.3","metadata":false},{"id":350348,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.3:1","catch_line":"Transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic mail (spam); penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.3_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.3_1","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Jaynes v. 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Virginia"}}}},{"id":350349,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.4","catch_line":"Computer trespass; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.4\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.4","metadata":false},{"id":350350,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.5","catch_line":"Computer invasion of privacy; penalties","url":"\/18.2-152.5\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.5","metadata":false},{"id":350351,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.5:1","catch_line":"Using a computer to gather identifying information; penalties","url":"\/18.2-152.5_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.5_1","metadata":false},{"id":350352,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.6","catch_line":"Theft of computer services; penalties","url":"\/18.2-152.6\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.6","metadata":false},{"id":350353,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.7","catch_line":"Personal trespass by computer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.7\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7","metadata":false},{"id":350354,"structure_id":50141,"section_number":"18.2-152.7:1","catch_line":"Harassment by computer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-152.7_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.7_1","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Richard Turner Moter v. 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","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"9":{"name":"Steele v. Goodman","case_number":"Civil Action No. 3:17cv601","citation":"382 F. Supp. 3d 403","date":"2019-03-31","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7336073\/steele-v-goodman\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. M. Hannah Lauck, United States District Judge .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. 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This law was first created in 2005. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 747<\/a>, 760<\/a>, 761<\/a>, 827<\/a>, and 837<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":350412,"section_number":"18.2-186.3","catch_line":"Identity theft; penalty; restitution; victim assistance","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-186.3\/"},{"id":378510,"section_number":"9.1-101","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-101\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1392811,"object_type":"law","relational_id":350351,"identifier":"18.2-152.5:1","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.5_1","url":"\/18.2-152.5_1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-152.5_1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7.1\/18.2-152.5_1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Using a computer to gather identifying information; penalties","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-152.5:1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> It is unlawful for any person<\/span>, other than a law<\/span>-enforcement officer, as defined in § 9.1-101<\/a>, and acting in the performance of his official duties, to use a computer<\/span> to obtain, access, or record, through the use of material<\/span> artifice, trickery or deception, any identifying information, as defined in clauses (iii) through (xiii) of subsection C of § 18.2-186.3<\/a>. Any person<\/span> who violates this section is guilty of a Class 6 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Any person<\/span> who violates this section and sells or distributes such information to another is guilty of a Class 5 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Any person<\/span> who violates this section and uses such information in the commission of another crime<\/span> is guilty of a Class 5 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUSING A COMPUTER TO GATHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION; PENALTIES (\u00a7 18.2-152.5:1)\n\nA. It is unlawful for any person, other than a law-enforcement officer, as\ndefined in § 9.1-101, and acting in the performance of his official duties,\nto use a computer to obtain, access, or record, through the use of material\nartifice, trickery or deception, any identifying information, as defined in\nclauses (iii) through (xiii) of subsection C of § 18.2-186.3. Any person\nwho violates this section is guilty of a Class 6 felony.\n\nB. Any person who violates this section and sells or distributes such\ninformation to another is guilty of a Class 5 felony.\n\nC. Any person who violates this section and uses such information in the\ncommission of another crime is guilty of a Class 5 felony.\n\nHISTORY: 2005, cc. 747, 760, 761, 827, 837.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}