You might want to be wary of your virtual actions during your next MMO session – it may just land you in real trouble.

A 43-year-old woman in Japan has been arrested for “killing” her online husband in the popular MMO Maple Story. Apparently, the two were suddenly divorced, “without a word of warning,” she told police officials. The official, however, stated that she did not plot any real world revenge.

Maple Story allows players to socialize, fight monsters, customize their characters, and yes, even marry.

Following the “divorce,” the woman logged into her “husband’s” account and deleted his avatar. The 33-year-old man, who tried logging on and discovered that his character was gone, complained to the police.

The police have arrested her for illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data. Although she has not been charged yet, she could face up to five years in prison or a $5000 fine if she is convicted.

A somewhat similar case popped up just two days ago in the Netherlands as well. Two teens, ages 14 and 15, were convicted of virtual theft after they coerced a 13-year-old to hand over a virtual armlet and a virtual mask in the MMO RuneScape.

The two boys were sentenced to community service by a Dutch court.

While it’s understandable to view virtual goods as real goods, especially when online theft can lead to thousands of dollars in losses, jail time for deleting a character in a video game seems a bit…ridiculous.

Yes, the woman did something rash, and yes, it cost her virtual husband (virtual!) many hours of gaming and customization. And, while she did technically access his account illegally, it’s not like she hacked the, say, Pentagon.

A fine, or even the community service forced upon the Dutch boys, is slightly more reasonable than serving time. It just goes to show that, in an age where Internet has become so intertwined with our lives, online actions can have very real consequences.