An Albemarle County man will serve two years behind bars for trying to use the Internet to lure strangers into having sex with his unsuspecting ex-wife because he was angry at her.

Thirty-six-year-old Anthony Lee Napier disguised himself as his former wife in 2001 when he gave out her address and telephone number in a chat room. Napier had warned men that she would play dumb but that she really wanted to have sex with them.

The case highlighted the difficulty in prosecuting cybercrimes.

Prosecutors had no sentencing guidelines, so they asked the judge for a two-year term based on the guidelines for attempted rape. Napier was also put on probation for ten years and cannot have contact with his ex-wife.

Napier pleaded guilty in April to two felony counts of personal trespass with the intent to cause physical injury, and three misdemeanor counts of harassment by computer.

Police say men who had corresponded with Napier called the woman and showed up at her house at Napier's invitation.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)