Internet Troll Sentenced to Jail

yes, he should go to prison for making terrorist threats over the internet.
That`s not trolling, that`s making terrorist death threats and he should go to prison for longer than 2 years.
The threat itself was meant to terrorize, it doesn`t matter if he was serious or not, it doesn`t matter if he had the ability to carry out the threat or not.

reply to post by jiggerj

Prevention in certain cases would be a good thing, but what you describe isn't supposed to happen. When we put just a crack in the shell that protects freedom of speech, you know that sooner or later someone is going to take a sledgehammer to it. And then we all go to jail because we're human. We get angry. We say stupid things. You broke my favorite vase? I'm gonna kill you! This statement could one day land someone in prison because once a freedom is limited in any way, it will be abused.

With freedom comes responsibility, and accountability.
I do understand your worry,
however threatening to take out children is not the same as freedom of speech.

Everything can be taken to far.
Even freedom of speech,
and hiding behind it to make death threats doesn't work,
as this situation shows.

With freedom comes responsibility, and accountability. I do understand your worry, however threatening to take out children is not the same as freedom of speech. Everything can be taken to far. Even freedom of speech, and hiding behind it to make death threats doesn't work, as this situation shows.

reply to post by Darkblade71



I'm not really disagreeing with it, per se. It's more a matter of everyone claiming to have free speech when we clearly don't. If it had been called Responsible Speech, then this fellow would be guilty as hell.

reply to post by jiggerj


Agreed.

When you flat out tell thousands of people on a memorial page of a U.S minor that was killed in Tennessee that your father has three guns, you plan to kill him first, put his body in a dumpster, drive to a school, go in fast, and "hopefully" (that's what he said) kill at least 200 children before you kill yourself, expect consequences.

With all the shootings and murders happening so very often, a statement like that is not going to be overlooked, and even he himself believed he belonged in prison.

Maybe he knows he would've done something, maybe not in the U.S, but somewhere, some way, and maybe he knew the only way to stop himself would be prison. Or maybe he turned himself in because he thought he could explain himself, and then walk away, who knows.

Say what you will, but I'm sure the parents of children in Tennessee will sleep better at night at least for the next two years and four months.

I don't even see online threats as a problem really.
Think about it.

The NSA will check him out real good and they can tell if he is a terrorist or not right? Hahahahahaha!

So who cares what anyone says, the NSA will sort it all out.
(This post is in jest, so laugh!)

Originally posted by jiggerj
When did we lose the idea that it's one thing to say something and quite another to do it? I've made no effort to hide the fact that I want North Korea's leader, Kim Jung Un, dead. And that we ought to wipe out the entire Middle East. In no way does this mean that I would actually do these things. These are just thoughts put into words, so for me to be arrested it would be a 'thought crime'. Have we really sunk that far?

Where do you draw the line? Do you think you should be permitted to call a train station and tell them there are bombs all over the building and use "freedom of expression" as a defense?

Threats to kill and maim are serious business. You can be charged for yelling fire in a crowded theater, an act which can cause a stampede and result in death. Can you claim freedom of speech for that?

You can think what you want, your mind is your own. But the moment you threaten the lives of others you have crossed a line.

Originally posted by jiggerj
Even if this demented troll fellow lived in Tennessee I would take issue with him being arrested for spilling what's in his head, but to actually live in another country and say it? Just seems too extreme.

edit on 7/13/2013 by jiggerj because: (no reason given)

He made the threats before it was confirmed that he did live thousands of miles away, kids were kept home from school, hundreds of thousands of $'s were spent on the investigation and increased security for the school too. The damage was done long before they discovered that he is in the UK.

And how can it be certain that even if he is in the UK he hasn't encouraged someone else to act in the US?

With all the chaos and craziness of what's going on with the NSA spying right now, this is the kind of thing they SHOULD be focusing on. Forget watching millions of innocent people, focus on those actually making threats to murder and maim, focus on the real criminals planning such things, and leave the rest of the innocent public alone.

This is a good example of how the system can work with clear public scrutiny, in the open, for all to see. Those involved in the investigation should have been seeking to identify him, and any others in the USA he might have been in contact with. That is the way to prevent terrorism, and it has nothing to do with thought crime or freedom of opinion and expression.

The guy threatened to murder kids. He deserves the punishment he has received and he's damn lucky in my opinion to not have been charged with more serious terrorism charges.

Originally posted by jiggerj
threatening to kill school children in Tennessee..

He got what he deserved, a threat is a threat no matter how you slice it and dice it.

They need to do this more,I'm tired of people posting things online that they would never say in a public place,like somehow it's ok to do this online.
Some of the stuff we have all read in forums is just shockingly wrong,when you have a FB page dedicated to mocking a child that was burned to even worse things,it truly boggles the mind.

Just one of so very many poor excuses for humans.

'I can't wait until you die': Outrage at American couple's breathtakingly cruel taunts at terminally ill seven-year-old girl

The UK doesn't have the same sort of 'free speech' protection that America does,

reply to post by Monger


It does, and funnily enough imprisoned tweeters occur as often on both sides of the Atlantic, so much for "protection".

reply to post by jiggerj


Internet Troll Sentenced to Jail

Good news

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by jiggerj

 

Aaaaaaaaah....Remember the good old days when "sticks and stones" was the rule of thumb and the law agreed with it? You were free to say what you wished- so long as it didn't cause injury (like yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater) and thoughts and words were not a crime. You could say "I'm gonna whip your behind" but as long as your actions didn't carry the threat out you were safe from prosecution. Now even a bad joke or empty threats made on a rough day are considered "terroristic" and you can be sent to prison and have a record for life just for exercising what used to be your right to free speech. Might as well throw the Constitution on the bonfire kiddies!

Seems like the only person here with any sense. The rest of you are all screeching for the nanny state to take care of you and protect you from all the big meanies and their bad words. Throw them in jail for calling me names. I can't believe the depths of stupidity it takes to think this way.

This is living proof of how we have allowed our society to become so completely FUBAR. You fools might as well just line up for the gulags now if you think jailing someone for words they said is a good idea.

There is a reason the FIRST Amendment is freedom of speech. Without this, you have nothing else, you fools.

Do not try to compare this to yelling fire in a crowded theater or calling in a bomb threat. A stampede in a theater causes people to be injured and killed due to your actions. That is already a crime. A bomb "threat" means calling in and stating as a fact that you are about to blow up a bomb. The ensuing panic can cause people to be injured or killed, just like yelling fire in a crowded theater. And, there is already a law for this as well.

If someone walks up to you on the street and says, "I'm going to kill you," and then just walks away, well, just try to go whining to the cops and see how far you would get. This is the same thing.

You all are advocating prosecution of THOUGHTCRIME. You cannot arrest people for something they "might" do. I think about punching people's teeth in fairly often, but, as an adult, I have enough self control not to actually do it. Should I be arrested for it? Sometimes, someone may even annoy me so much that I may go so far as to say, "Dude, you'd better shut the f up or I will knock you out." Should I then be arrested for assault?

You think some kind of line should be drawn somewhere, and beyond that it is "terroristic" language? Oh? Really? Just who is going to decide where this line should be drawn? This immediately leads to the situation we are already in, where expressing any kind of dissent is hammered down. And all you fools are cheering for it.

There is a reason freedom of speech is the FIRST amendment. It is THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE.

All your squawking about your guns? Well, if you will allow yourself to be arrested for saying you are going to use them, then the guns do you no good, do they? Fools.

reply to post by jiggerj


So he made threatening statements. Yet, he didn't threaten any child directly by name. That's not even assault; how can he be arrested with no victim to testify against him? The only person he specifically threatened was his "dad". More importantly he didn't act on his words. So, basically, he did nothing and is being sent to jail. Are we going to devolve into a society that incarcerates people for bad taste and lack of judgment?


"Police later determined that he posed no physical threat to children in the US or the UK."--from the woman in vid

So police discovered he was blowing hot air. He was no threat. Jailing him for words is excessive. I could see a couple years of not being able to use computers. Or not being able to use a computer with internet access. To send him to prison is too much.

Freedom of Speech ---- Until authority disapproves. That will be a possible future if similar jailing becomes common.

Originally posted by Tardacus
yes, he should go to prison for making terrorist threats over the internet.
That`s not trolling, that`s making terrorist death threats and he should go to prison for longer than 2 years.
The threat itself was meant to terrorize, it doesn`t matter if he was serious or not, it doesn`t matter if he had the ability to carry out the threat or not.

except when it comes to Threatening Females with rape, beat downs, dismemberment,

THEN it's A OK, YAY GO GO GO

I always find the Hypocrisy to be astounding on That one,

Women by far receive not just on forums but actual EMAIL threats all the time

And NO ONE WINCES ONE BIT.

Absolutley Astounding that one...

Originally posted by ThreeBears

Originally posted by Tardacus
yes, he should go to prison for making terrorist threats over the internet.
That`s not trolling, that`s making terrorist death threats and he should go to prison for longer than 2 years.
The threat itself was meant to terrorize, it doesn`t matter if he was serious or not, it doesn`t matter if he had the ability to carry out the threat or not.

except when it comes to Threatening Females with rape, beat downs, dismemberment,

THEN it's A OK, YAY GO GO GO

I always find the Hypocrisy to be astounding on That one,

Women by far receive not just on forums but actual EMAIL threats all the time

And NO ONE WINCES ONE BIT.

Absolutley Astounding that one...

In fact there are ENTIRE Facebook pages DEDICATED to Celebrating Rape, Child rape, Murdering females

And yet

IT'S ALL FINE.

This man could have sent the SAME THREAT TO FEMALES

And HE BE A WALKING FREE MAN AND

There are Men who would PAY HIM to create entire MEDIA spouting g threats,

And any who objected would be told

"ah, you just one of them there man haters"

unbelievable

So Really, he would have been FINE if he had only threatened FEMALE CHILDREN

Especially in UK

They wouldn't have even blinked an eye.

FACT

wow - what a jerk.

too bad jail just means he's being punished and not rehabilitated. Is counseling part of his sentencing?

reply to post by jiggerj


thought crimes are serious business.

I am pretty sure you will be put in jail soon if it is perceived that you were about to have an angry emotion.

People will no longer be allowed to come to cross roads of that kinds of actions will follow their thoughts or their words. they will just get punished for them if they hurt societies pussy.

reply to post by MichaelPMaccabee

Originally posted by MichaelPMaccabee

Not alleged threat. This person has been convicted and sentenced. If you are interested in knowing what laws he broke, do the research.

Rinse & Repeat

Originally posted by BrokenCircles

Originally posted by MichaelPMaccabee

The law that he was prosecuted under. I live in a country that adheres to the Rule of Law. If you are so interested in the specific penal code that he was charged with, do the research.

You brought it up, not me.
You're missing my point though:

This alleged threat was directed towards the U.S. He was charged and arrested in the UK. If he does end up serving time in prison, it will be in the UK.

....so whose law did he actually break?
The Law of the Internet?

reply to post by badgerprints

Originally posted by badgerprints

Posing no physical threat and threatening to kill people is still a crime.
He's in jail for a reason.

There's always a reason, but not all reasons are just.

The punishment doesn't fit the crime.

reply to post by BrokenCircles

The punishment doesn't fit the crime.

You did not see all the evidence first hand.
You only read internet reports of what was released to the public.

The judge saw all the facts and reports of the person involved. Isn't that why we pay them?

I suspect he saw something deeper going on. Perhaps the home life.
Someday you will get the chance to be on a jury. Then you can decide.