TOKYO: A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a
virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online
husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking,
police said Thursday.
The woman, who is jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a
computer and manipulating electronic data, used his identification and
password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry
out the virtual murder in mid-May, a police official in northern
Sapporo said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.
"I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made
me so angry," the official quoted her as telling investigators and
admitting the allegations.
The woman had not plotted any revenge in the real world, the official said.
She has not yet been formally charged, but if convicted could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine up to $5,000.
Players in "Maple Story" raise and manipulate digital images
called "avatars" that represent themselves, while engaging in
relationships, social activities and fighting against monsters and
other obstacles.
The woman used login information she got from the 33-year-old
office worker when their characters were happily married, and killed
the character. The man complained to police when he discovered that his
beloved online avatar was dead.
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