Internet troll is jailed after mocking deaths of teenagers online.

[Atmos Duality]

Dont mean to sound like a twat but you can't slander the dead, i just don't get why he was jailed it seems way too harsh.


plus i must say anyone whos spent any time on 4chan knows this is relatively tame

You might not be able to "illegally" slander the dead, but you can defame those who survive the deceased.

4chan may have filthier shit, but most of it is contained to that site.

Further, these comments and videos weren't just made in passing; This was a deliberate and persistent (and mercifully, short-lived) campaign of hatred being passed off as a sick attempt at humor.

When one's "jokes" are designed to elicit laughs purely on the basis of torturing another person (or a family in this case), they cross a line. There's satire, there's tragedy (and black comedy), and then there's this.

The trolls actions were inexcusable, his vain attempt at an "insanity plea" ("My aspergers made me do it!") suggest to me that he has no conscience or guilt for what he's done.

I'm glad this prick is in prison.

 

[Lord Kloo]

Kind of warented really, not much to say other than..

Surely posting videos on youtube mocking dead people and not sending them to the relatives doesn't count as harassment.. considering its unlikely the relatives of the deceased found them themselves so it shouldn't have caused unnecessary suffering? Technicality really, just desserts as far as im concerned..

 

[drmigit2]

This is insane, he trolled and he gets 4 months? First amendment has died today, sorry to say everyone. He should have been fined 600 or so dollars for damages, I guarantee he would have stopped after paying 600 for it.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Now that's what I call justice!
Trolls are entitled to their opinion, just like everyone, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed if you're a decent human being.

Damn striaght, which is why I think the WBC, the people who protest at funerals for soldiers who died in combat because they say that 'god hates fags and the soldiers were fags' should be thrown in jail for 18 weeks as well.

Off Topic: Captcha: potatoes bmiler

 

[Wanzer]

The guy deserved it for being a prodigious asshole, but we can't be jailing people for opinions expressed on a public forum. The guy got jailed in the UK, who have different free speech laws. But being an asshole =/= jailtime--unless you are blocking the traffic.

This makes me wonder sometimes what our culture is heading to. Why are people defending someone that obviously deserves some sort of punishment?

This douche gets punished, rather harshly, for words. Who's to say you're not next for something you say in the heat of rage?

Or if something is considered criminally offensive in some parts of the world, for example, like offering support for gay marriage or expressing legitimate (but divisive) political opinion?

Refer to my last post.

 

[RicoADF]

No such thing as freedom of speech in England. They got the watered-down version, I fear. Still.. I can see the merit, at times, to being able to punish people for unbelievable acts of asshattery.

Even in America harassment and abuse can land you in trouble, freedom of speech doesn't give freedom to cause harm to other's. This isn't a case of someone saying on a random public forum that he thinks she was stupid for what happened and being jailed for what he said, this is a case of someone going to the person's facebook to directly and intentionally harassing and abusing the grieving family multiple times and over a period of time. It's illegal to harrass and stalk someone in the street, just as it's illegal to send harassing phone calls, msg's and facebook posts.

Here have a read of the definition of freedom of speech:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

Not that i'm condoning what the kid done but isn't he allowed to say what he wants, freedom of speech and all

That's what I was wondering, but I think other countries outside of the US don't actually have freedom of speech.

Don't be so silly, we do have freedom of speech, but as described above it's not the freedom to do harm. By your definition people should be allowed to murder and rape as to stop such things takes away someones 'freedom', no people can't do that because it's wrong and malicious, we don't allow people to go out with the intention of doing harm to others for their own enjoyment.

 

[Wanzer]

This is insane, he trolled and he gets 4 months? First amendment has died today, sorry to say everyone. He should have been fined 600 or so dollars for damages, I guarantee he would have stopped after paying 600 for it.

Firstly he was in the U.K., secondly that isn't protected under first amendment rights, thirdly go study law before you open your mouth again.

 

[zelda2fanboy]

I'm glad I live in a country where I can freely be an asshole to whoever, however, and whenever I want. I take back many of the negative things I've said about America. Sort of changes my entire viewpoint on the Westboro Baptist Church. Hell, I want them to protest my funeral now.

 

[Awexsome]

Abuse adding to a traumatized family. Totally deserves it. Not gonna do that again are ya? He pulls the Aspergers card which I hate so bad and would like to see him another 4 months in jail just to spite him. People pulling that victim card give the condition a bad name as just an excuse rather than the actual problem it really is.

 

[Draconalis]

Or if something is considered criminally offensive in some parts of the world, for example, like offering support for gay marriage or expressing legitimate (but divisive) political opinion?

Nice point I hadn't even considered, and I should have.

 

[Project_Omega]

The idiot used Facebook to do this, and made a Youtube video probably with his face in it.

I swear criminals and trolls become dumber and dumber every week.

You don't do that to teenage girls, no matter how bitchy... ever.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

He tries to pin the blame on his Aspergers syndrome claiming he didn't know the effect he was causing on the victims family and friends. Now, I'm not an expert on the subject, but I'm pretty damn sure Aspergers sufferers know a sense of right from wrong.

Your damned right we have very well developed sense of right and wrong...well, most of us, contrary to what Chris-Chan would show you. It's just most of us hide in plain sight because of people like Chris-Chan and this loser.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

where does any nation give its citizens the right not to be offended?"

There are laws against harassment. They've been posted several times throughout this thread, and they apply in this circumstance.

 

[Tommeh Brownleh]

Why can people not just get over the fact that PEOPLE DIE! I make fun of people dying all the time. Personally I'm rooting for the troll here. If you can't laugh at the face of death, at least to me, you're in for a crappy life.

 

[CoDzombieDude]

I am torn three ways with this article:

1. He is being jailed for what? Saying mean things? No matter how mean these things are, which I have no doubt they are, I'm pretty sure you can't be jailed for that.

2. This seems to be a current trend with these sort of stories I read here, the perpetrators almost always seem to be sufferers of Aspergers. Now the only real exposure I've had to this disorder is with a kid in my class and he doesn't do anything nearly as bad as this. Just saying this from an analytical standpoint, it feels that rather a lot of people are using this disorder as a shield which may be possibly acceptable to a certain degree but nowhere near as bad as this.

3. It seems the Aspergers community always speak up when theres a story like this and they all unanimously side against the sufferer in the article, so there must be some deeper psychological workings with the people like the guy in the story which caused him to do this. Or he's just a sick person. Either or.

 

[HalfTangible]

Some of you may remember the story on here about a troll who was arrested last year for mocking Jade Goody's family over her death amongst other things.

It's happened again (maybe several times again, this is the only one I've heard of recently).


From the article:

An internet troll who posted videos and messages mocking the deaths of teenagers, including a girl hit by a train, has been jailed.

Sean Duffy, 25, targeted Facebook tribute pages and posted videos on YouTube taunting the dead and their families.

Among his victims was Natasha MacBryde, 15, who died instantly when hit by a passenger train near her home in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

The day after Natasha's death in February, Duffy posted comments including "I fell asleep on the track lolz" on the Facebook tribute page created by her brother James, 17.

Four days later he created a YouTube video called "Tasha the Tank Engine" featuring her face superimposed on to the front of the fictional engine.

Duffy, who is unemployed and did not know any of his victims, pleaded guilty to two counts of sending malicious communications relating to Natasha.

He asked for three other cases of Facebook trolling ? posting offensive messages on the internet ? to be taken into consideration when he appeared before magistrates in Reading, Berkshire.

Jailing him for 18 weeks, the chair of the bench, Paul Warren, told him: "You have caused untold distress to already grieving friends and family.

"The offences are so serious only a custodial sentence could be justified."

He tries to pin the blame on his Aspergers syndrome claiming he didn't know the effect he was causing on the victims family and friends. Now, I'm not an expert on the subject, but I'm pretty damn sure Aspergers sufferers know a sense of right from wrong.
I find it frankly appalling he is trying to hide behind this; he's sick, disability or not.
I hope any trolls who are as deranged as him take this as a warning lest they follow in his footsteps and manage to sort their lives out.


Thoughts/opinions?

I HAVE aspbergers. And I can tell you it doesn't make you THAT big of an asshole. The girl DIED. You don't joke about that if you have basic moral sense.

(For the unaware, he's citing that aspbergers makes it difficult to conceive what a thought pattern different from your own would be like. But you'd still be capable of realizing how you would feel if YOUR sister or close friend died)

 

[Wanzer]

Now that's what I call justice!
Trolls are entitled to their opinion, just like everyone, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed if you're a decent human being.

Damn striaght, which is why I think the WBC, the people who protest at funerals for soldiers who died in combat because they say that 'god hates fags and the soldiers were fags' should be thrown in jail for 18 weeks as well.

Off Topic: Captcha: potatoes bmiler

I in no way shape or form condone the actions of the WBC and completely agree with your statement; however, we can't throw the church in jail or stop their protests no matter how much we despise them because of some loophole in the legal system they are currently exploiting. I don't remember the exact terms of it though, but they have their legal right to protest and my memory just surged. They are protected because they are protesting gays in the military and not the funeral or the person itself.

 

[CharrHearted]

James, 17.

Four days later he created a YouTube video called "Tasha the Tank Engine" featuring her face superimposed on to the front of the fictional engine.

hahahah... Hahahaha.... BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


I haven't laughed my ass off so much today, that's comedy gold right there! Is the video still online? I have to see this!

 

[illas]

Not that i'm condoning what the kid done but isn't he allowed to say what he wants, freedom of speech and all

"Freedom of speech" enables you to say whatever you want, it does not absolve you of responsibility for it.

eg: I can walk into an airport and say "I have a bomb". The government can in no way stop or censor me from doing this. The police then come and arrest me. I can't get them to release me just by claiming it was "free speech". Words, like actions, have consequences.

OT: that is a *really* harsh sentence, Asberger's or not.

Still, we imprison people with hyper-adrenal disorders (who are prone to bouts of violence) for violent crime; so it seems vaguely logical to imprison someone with an anti-social disorder for anti-social behavior... assuming some consideration is given for the illness/disorder.