Teenager arrested for malicious tweeting

[Enemy of the State]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oly...Tom-Daley.html

Being rude to people on the internet gets you arrested in Britain, apparently....

[removeduser_4536284751384]

EDIT: Here are the two UK laws I think are relevant.

(1) Any person who sends to another person
(a) a letter, electronic communication or article of any description which conveys
(i) a message which is indecent or grossly offensive
(ii) a threat or
(iii) information which is false and known or believed to be false by the sender or
(b) any article or electronic communication which is, in whole or part, of an indecent or grossly offensive nature,
is guilty of an offence if his purpose, or one of his purposes, in sending it is that it should, so far as falling within paragraph (a) or (b) above, cause distress or anxiety to the recipient or to any other person to whom he intends that it or its contents or nature should be communicated.
...

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both.

(1) 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.

...


(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both.

This seems a bit stricter than most harrassment laws, although the guy did send death threats.

[The Edain]

As far as I'm aware, or at least from what I was told after the offending account was taken down, there were other messages tweeted that were overly threatening i.e. certain comments about drowning and what not. Whether these were real or not I'm not sure, but it seems those comments and with the initial comment applied with the laws Ireland posted, I see no reason for this arrest to be an odd thing. Not that it matters, the 17 year old will probably be cautioned and let out within the next week - depending on the contents of his interview.

[Sharpe's Company]

As far as I'm aware, or at least from what I was told after the offending account was taken down, there were other messages tweeted that were overly threatening i.e. certain comments about drowning and what not. Whether these were real or not I'm not sure, but it seems those comments and with the initial comment applied with the laws Ireland posted, I see no reason for this arrest to be an odd thing. Not that it matters, the 17 year old will probably be cautioned and let out within the next week - depending on the contents of his interview.

What are you talking about, the teenager has been remanded in custody?

[Aymer de Valence]

I was about to comment with "This is getting out of hand", but when I saw it was this story, I mellowed. It was a disgraceful thing to say and i'm glad he has been arrested.

[Phier]

Arrested for what, being an ass?

[removeduser_4536284751384]

Arrested for what, being an ass?

Apparently. I thought harrassment was where people were being an ass in such a way as you couldn't avoid them. Following you around, sticking messages to your car or whatever. But surely it's very easy to avoid twitter assery, not logging in? Or can I start complaining that someone said they would sleep with my non-existent wife in a computer game chat recently?

I mean last I checked ringing someone up and annoying them wasn't illegal until they'd blocked your number and you had circumvented that.

Although he did send death threats and that's an offence.

[Sicknero]

Arrested for what, being an ass?

Quite so, it's just the kind of idiot comment that some people would make at the pub or wherever, and indeed probably did do. The problem is that the internet, FB, Twatter, etc make this sort of thing public and seen by thousands.
I sympathise with the swimmer for having to put up with that kind of rubbish, but surely it's just part and parcel of being a celebrity or public figure.

Arrested, for crying out loud. Go out and prevent some real crimes, you fools.

[Grouchio]

Arrested for what, being an ass?

The glory days are coming, where having bad karma gets you in prison, left is right and right is wrong!

[Menelik_I]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oly...Tom-Daley.html

Being rude to people on the internet gets you arrested in Britain, apparently....

Growing a thicker skin is concept that doesn't exist in Great Babytania.

@irelandeb:

Did the kid mentioned the athlete in his tweet with ''@'' function ?

[Big War Bird]

Only in america . . . oh wait.

[Lazzeer]

I'm guessing the arrest is for the -

"@TomDaley1994 i'm going to find you and i'm going to drown you in the pool you cocky your a nobody people like you make me sick"

- tweet, rather than the "@TomDaley1994 you let your dad down i hope you know that" tweet. It's a death threat, so it's hardly surprising...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...?utm_hp_ref=uk

[Sicknero]

I'm guessing the arrest is for the -

"@TomDaley1994 i'm going to find you and i'm going to drown you in the pool you cocky your a nobody people like you make me sick"

- tweet, rather than the "@TomDaley1994 you let your dad down i hope you know that" tweet. It's a death threat, so it's hardly surprising...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...?utm_hp_ref=uk

I love how Dorset police tweet their response to the situation . I just can't imagine such a dick comment being taken seriously, people put this kind of thing on the net every day.

[Lazzeer]

I love how Dorset police tweet their response to the situation . I just can't imagine such a dick comment being taken seriously, people put this kind of thing on the net every day.

I though that death threats needed to be credible for arrests to be made.

If a death threat ( OVER INTERNET ) is reason to hold a man in Jail , then , what's next ? A tease , a joke ...

Which is why he's not being charged. He's been given a warning. It's not like he's being thrown into a gulag or anything.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19072301

Death threats should get you a talking to by the police so I'm in favor of that.

Being an ass should get you a punching and I'm in favor of that.

Which is pretty much what has happened.

Yep well this is The Olympics. If a mouse farted in the stands an armed response team would be dispatched. Apparently the twerp that got arrested threatened everyone else that responded to his twerpiness which didn't help him.

Exactly, especially concerning a well known (and dare I say, loved) athlete. Didn't know about the threatening of everyone else though.


So moral of the story - in Soviet Britain, if you make a load of death threats to tonnes of people, you'll get a warning.

[Celsius]

I'm guessing the arrest is for the -

"@TomDaley1994 i'm going to find you and i'm going to drown you in the pool you cocky your a nobody people like you make me sick"

- tweet, rather than the "@TomDaley1994 you let your dad down i hope you know that" tweet. It's a death threat, so it's hardly surprising...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...?utm_hp_ref=uk

This. Death threats land people in jail all the time.

Seems like a legitimate course of action for the Police to take.

[Menelik_I]

I'm guessing the arrest is for the -

"@TomDaley1994 i'm going to find you and i'm going to drown you in the pool you cocky your a nobody people like you make me sick"

I though that death threats needed to be credible for arrests to be made.

[Aymer de Valence]

I though that death threats needed to be credible for arrests to be made.

Not in 21st century Britain

[Markas]

I'm guessing the arrest is for the -

"@TomDaley1994 i'm going to find you and i'm going to drown you in the pool you cocky your a nobody people like you make me sick"

- tweet, rather than the "@TomDaley1994 you let your dad down i hope you know that" tweet. It's a death threat, so it's hardly surprising...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...?utm_hp_ref=uk

Yep well this is The Olympics. If a mouse farted in the stands an armed response team would be dispatched. Apparently the twerp that got arrested threatened everyone else that responded to his twerpiness which didn't help him.

[Phier]

Death threats should get you a talking to by the police so I'm in favor of that.

Being an ass should get you a punching and I'm in favor of that.

[mongrel]

Death threats should get you a talking to by the police so I'm in favor of that.

Being an ass should get you a punching and I'm in favor of that.

A fair comment.