I thought online sexual harrassment was already considered illegal, as in it being a subset of stalking...

As to in games with characters or what have you... just goes to show there are some sick puppies out there...

This is an interesting question. On the one hand I really resist the idea of thought police, and generally subscribe to the notion that "whatsoever a man thinketh is no crime."

But at the same time, living in a real world society filled with people who rape each other in cyber space is a disturbing prospect. I guess it boils down to the question: how real is the virtual world? I mean, if I had a virtual persona and someone were to rape that persona, have I been injured? Surely physically I am still whole and unharmed (and if I suffered emotional harm then maybe I shouldn't let myself get so sucked into something that is pretend). But on the other hand, what about the effect on the person committing the rape? Wouldn't it be in our society's best interest to discourage that kind of virtual behavior based on the concern of what such people may become? Or is the virtual world more a reflection of what we already are, rather than something that can shape and change us? (In which case it may not make any difference whether the rape occurs only in a person's mind or in some virtual world.)

I dunno.

I'm with Jason. Let vigilante justice prevail within the context of the game.