AN XBOX cyber stalker who threatened to rape his housewife victim and her daughter and claimed to have hacked into her mobile phone and obtained bank and personal details has been jailed for a year.

Anthony Hancox, 27, spent his time in his bedroom with his machines “away from the real world,” a judge remarked.

Judge David Hale added at Caernarfon crown court that people who sent out such grossly offensive messages would go to prison -”the real world is hitting back.”

Hancox, unemployed, but said to be suffering from ADHD, had used the names “Mr Delicious” and “Gracious Room 18” during his campaign, which had lasted from May last year to early January. He pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment of the young mother.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, said the harrassment was carried out on Xbox live games, and he told her he had hacked into her account, knew she had children, and ordered her to stay on-line.

He sent as many as 30 texts a day, asking her to be his girlfriend, and sent photographs of herself he had hacked from her mobile phone.

Judge Hale remarked: “It’s a very 21st century crime this, isn’t it?”

Mr Edwards said Hancox, of Dalnafree, Fairbourne, had ordered her to start a private chat “or he would do something which would affect her for the rest of her life.”

He referred to a daughter as being pretty and threatened to put her photograph on a website so men could bid for her.

She was so concerned she went off-line but then he would contact her mobile phone.

He asked her to engage in sex acts and said five men could be there within two hours.

She changed her username but Hancox found out, and Mr Edwards said the woman believed that one message had been sent after his arrest suggesting “he would get away with it.”

Mr Edwards said that at first Hancox had denied responsibility but later told police it was “a sick joke that soon got out of hand”.

What made it worse for the victim, from the south coast of England, was that she had no idea who was her stalker or where he lived. She would look over her shoulder and not leave her children alone.

Sarah Yates, defending, said Hancox had medical problems and was extremely remorseful.

Computer gaming “has taken over his life”, she said. “What became a sick joke in bad taste became more abhorrent.”

Hancox was planning to see his doctor and get back on medication.

Judge Hale said new technology brought massive advantages in the way people could spend their leisure time but also “really serious dangers”

Hancox sent the most appalling messages to the victim, saying her children were to be raped or subject to some other indignity, and somehow got information from her phone.

This would have a corrosive and out of control effect on her. “You got someone else, probably in France, to carry on the pressure, if I only for one or two days,” the judge reminded Hancox.

A restraining order was imposed which bans Hancox permanently from any contact with his victim.

Detective Constable David Rock of North Wales police said: “This was very upsetting for the victim, but despite being subjected to extreme harassment, she demonstrated great strength of character in coming forward and standing up to the perpetrator.”

“The police investigation utilised extensive telecommunication enquiries to establish the involvement of the defendant.

The sentence issued today sends out a clear message to victims of internet stalking that the we will support you and we will progress lines of enquiry to identify, arrest and charge those involved in this type of offending.”