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back to article Man charged over alleged April Jones Facebook trolling

Lancashire police arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly offensive remarks he posted on Facebook about missing five-year-old April Jones from Machynlleth, Wales. Officers said they had arrested and later charged Matthew Wood, 20, of Eaves Lane, Chorley, "with sending by means of a public electronic communications network a …

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  1. Justice
    Thumb Down

    Getting a bit silly...

    I've read the joke. It is indeed tasteless and offensive.

    But no more so than some of Frankie Boyles material.

    To arrest the guy for it is a gross misinterpretation of the communications act.

    Perhaps the police should spend their time arresting REAL criminals instead of spending long hours on FaceBook and Twitter looking for things that offend people.

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  2. nigel 15
    FAIL

    Dear Reg

    Have some stones and report the actual joke.

    0 1
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Dear Reg

      Yes, I'm sure reporting something that someone is being prosecuted for would be a sensible thing to do...

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I've seen it on Slashdot. It *is* rather offensive, and so I think that as the law stands this bloke is now screwed.

    The law is ridiculous though. It seems completely insane that you can be prosecuted for saying something offensive purely because it is transmitted through a public electronic communications network.

    Facebook and Twitter are privately owned.

    2 1
    1. Jonathan Richards 1
      Reply Icon
      Stop

      Offensive telecoms

      This has been the case since God was in short trousers. Under the same legislation (Communications Act 2003) it's a criminal offence in the UK to use indecent or obscene language even in a person-to-person telephone call.

      "A person is guilty of an offence if he—

      (a) sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or

      (b) causes any such message or matter to be so sent."

      Source [legislation.gov.uk]

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  4. Anonymous Coward
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    Sick.

    Having seen the "Joke" this guy needs psychiatric care, preferably the type that involves Electro-Convulsive Therapy!

    1 9
    1. PaulWizard
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      Thumb Down

      Re: Sick.

      Please understand that although this joke is sick, that is it's intent. Jokes like this are intended to shock, go too far, make the recipient draw breath etc. There is an audience for these jokes, that's why Jimmy Carr is so popular. Your threshold for this sort of thing is clearly much lower than a large number of people. *IF* this chap posted this publicly on Facebook, then he should get his wrist slapped. If it was a private/limited audience message (if there is such a thing on FB) then the person who reposted it should be slapped. Neither are mentally ill, just not too bright for not limiting the audience to people who won't find a joke offensive.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sick.

      Jokes like these have always existed and always will. Yes they are in bad taste but they fade away as soon the event does. You cannot lock people up for cracking jokes no matter how bad they currently are.

      Sometimes I feel like destroying my ears and eyes to protect myself from a possible jail sentence in the future. Soon it will be illegal to breath because a child/someone famous drowns.

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    The U.K. has gone mad

    The U.K. is collectively suffering from mental illness. Facebook should allow owners of these 'victim' pages to moderate any material. It's not a Police (State) matter. What the hell are these soldiers in Afghanistan dying for and what 'freedom' are they fighting for?

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  6. PaulWizard
    WTF?

    Does this meen...

    That everyone posting jokes (much like this one) on sickipedia is going to be arrested? He probably just repeated it from there anyway.

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    1. Julz
      Reply Icon

      Re: Does this meen...

      You can do both at once:

      http://www.facebook.com/Sickestandfunniestjokes

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    We've always had a history of making sick jokes in the UK following some disaster or unfortunate incident. The good ones make you smile despite the subject matter - the bad ones just make you say to yourself "tosser" and that's it.

    This joke and the tosser who posted the "joke" definitely fall into the latter category. But to go as far as arresting him with a view to prosecution is itself a sick "joke". Can the police be prosecuted for wasted police time? Cos they bloody well should be.

    It is a sad state of affairs when the Police waste their time and tax payers money persuing something as trivial as posting a stupid joke/comment. The most that should have happened, is a request to FB for the removal of the offending post.

    Way to go plod - and they wonder why the public has so little respect for them these days...

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  8. fiddley
    Facepalm

    I think we should have an "I'm Spartacus" moment over these stupid arrests. The guy has possibly suffered a grevious lack of judgement, so he gets arrested, charged (!) and life very seriously screwed over, all for a few peoples hurt feelings. Whatever happened to Sticks & Stones may break my bones...? Couldn't they have just given him a caution?

    So who's going to repost the joke on facebook first? I'll do it straight after you. Promise.

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    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Reply Icon
      Happy

      Well I won't, as I'm definitely not Spartacus. However, I will correct a glaring error in your post, it's in the form of a misquote. The actual quote is:

      Sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me!

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  9. ukgnome
    Unhappy

    2 things

    1. This "man" is obviously a sick little fecker, with poor judgement and poor taste. No doubt he is not fully aware of the laws he is breaking, because he's an eejit. Also, he may of had his own privacy violated as someone apparently screen grabbed his tasteless wall post and posted it on the tribute page. Truly these kinds of Jeremy Kyle show fodder should just fecking do one.

    2. I have an issue with facebook tribute pages. The whole idea of liking a page dedicated to cancer or whatever else I find offensive. It is meant to be social media. These pages don't make me feel particularly social. I am not saying that they should be off the web, as they do have a valid place. But i don't want to be reminded that the worlds a fecked up screwy place when I'm trying to find out what my wife wants for tea.

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    1. Danny 14
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      Pint

      Re: 2 things

      but I bet you wouldnt go to the tribute page and start posting sick jokes though. You can simply ignore facebook pages you know.

      Do you have much luck finding your wifes eating habits from facebook?

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      1. ukgnome
        Reply Icon

        Re: 2 things

        You are indeed correct, I wouldn't deface a tribute page with sick jokes. I do find it odd that people do. I guess I was brought up and not dragged up.

        And sadly no, I am still at a loss as to what the wife wants for supper.

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  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Publishing and the web

    People should be educated that what they put on the web is effectively publishing and subject to different rules/laws than those that govern the ubiquitious chat with your mates down the pub.

    It's probably buried page 398 of FB's T's&C's.

    I once made an off-colour comment on the web in an email to a closed group once that did (well, contributed) a fair bit of damage to a company, fortunately public( and stakeholder) opinion was on my side and I got away with it, but it certainly taught me a lesson the hard way. This was 12 years ago and the email is still on the web.

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Lynch mob mentality

    I'm more offended that the various Hang Mark Bridgers facebook groups have more than 100,000 'likes'

    http://m.facebook.com/search/?refid=7&m_sess=soBDPKkT-TlRWlP66&search=&query=Hang+Mark+Bridger

    Most of those comments I find rather offensive; I wonder if the police will be doing anything about them ?

    Lynch mob mentality

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    1. Sir Runcible Spoon
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      Re: Lynch mob mentality

      I just tried to go to that link so I could be offended and report it to the Police, but it won't let me in - it appears to be password protected.

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    2. Crisp
      Reply Icon

      Re: Lynch mob mentality

      The Pedofinder General, by the power vested in him by knee jerk British Tabloids, has found him guilty in the court of public opinion.

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  12. Mike Taylor
    Thumb Up

    Found guilty

    Sent down for three months. Which included time off for admitting guilt.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/08/april-jones-teenager-jailed-facebook

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    1. Sir Runcible Spoon
      Reply Icon

      Re: Found guilty

      I really am torn about this one. That the guy is a waste of oxygen isn't in much doubt, but 12 weeks? It does seem like he posted it on his own page..

      "A man who posted "despicable" comments on his Facebook page" rather than on the group page for April Jones.

      Being able to charge, convict and sentence someone so quickly for sick comments is a worrying state of affairs for everyone, even if they have nothing to hide (tm).

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      1. Jonathan Richards 1
        Reply Icon
        FAIL

        Quote> It does seem like he posted it on his own page.

        It's not about where it ends up... it's how it got there.

        The Communications Act 2003 regulates communications networks in the UK. The guy committed an offence by sending the message over a public electronic communications network. The offence was committed at the moment he clicked on 'Submit', and he would have been equally guilty even if he had been putting it into entirely private storage. In that event, though, he would have been much less likely to have been detected. Actually publishing your offending material just makes it easy for the courts.

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  13. chris 17 Silver badge
    Stop

    to those that say facebook isn't real, time to get in the 21st century. writing nasty comments or sick jokes about someone or their loved ones and placing them in a place where they, their friends, family, neighbours etc will see it and the affected person will be humiliated and upset by it is just plain evil & cruel. That is REAL, and the hurt it causes is REAL.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      facebook is as real as you want it.

      to a troll, facebook is fiction.. time to get with the times.6

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