12 weeks in Jail for offensive web posts about poor April Jones

Sykk · 09-10-2012 1:34pm

Now here is an interesting contrast...

Facebook: Man Spared Jail Over Comments
After the deaths of six UK troops in Afghanistan, Azhar Ahmed posted a message saying: "All soldiers should die and go to hell."

Where is the line drawn??

Feeona · 09-10-2012 1:34pm

It takes a special brand of idiot to make sexual jokes in private about a five year old girl who's presumed dead, and an even more special brand of idiot to post them on social media.

What a tool.

Latchy · 09-10-2012 1:42pm

Feeona wrote: »

It takes a special brand of idiot to make sexual jokes in private about a five year old girl who's presumed dead, and an even more special brand of idiot to post them on social media.

What a tool.

In a nutshell ...yes .

_feedback_ · 09-10-2012 1:44pm

Feeona wrote: »

It takes a special brand of idiot to make sexual jokes in private about a five year old girl who's presumed dead, and an even more special brand of idiot to post them on social media.

What a tool.

Don't think too many would wildly disagree with that, but does he deserve to go to jail over it is the question.

stevenmu · 09-10-2012 1:51pm

I generally think that there's no way people should be sent to jail for posting jokes on a website, no matter how sick, twisted or offensive they may be.

But reading this guys posts (if the Guardian link posted earlier has them accurately), the posts don't really read like jokes, they read like trolling that is deliberately trying to provoke people. It could be argued that he was deliberately inciting a breach of the peace, and there's then a very good argument for locking him up.

Tasden · 09-10-2012 1:55pm

I don't use facebook, but i know how some people live their life through the site- nights out revolve around taking photos to put up on it, they communicate with friends on it- privately or publicly, people you may not even talk to in real life know absolutely everything about you because they're your friend on facebook, its not just a website for some people, i don't even know how you'd describe their obsession with it. But i can genuinely see how the lines are blurred between 'real life' and facebook sometimes. Especially when you look at the bullying that goes on, on a website that people choose to go on, but its leading to people taking their own lives. Its not 'just a website' anymore for some people its 'real life' and this unfortunately is the result. Taking things way too seriously or personally.
Its ridiculous. His joke was sick. So ignore it. He should not be put in jail for having a sick sense of humour.

gerbilgranny · 09-10-2012 1:56pm

I hate these sort of disgusting jokes/comments.

And naturally, I have every sympathy for April and her family.

But I can't help making a comparison - the Great British Public generally seem to think it was okay to make jokes like that about Jade Goody.

She may have been no saint, but she wasn't racist - and actually, I don't think she was nasty.

Yet for a while she was treated in the British press like Public Enemy No 1, and at the time, moderators on many Big Brother Forums saw nothing wrong with posters saying she should be killed!

And many people online think it's perfectly acceptable to joke about her death. After all she was just some hideous reality tv personality, wasn't she? Forget about the fact that she was the mother of two very young children.

Don't imagine I'll get more agreement on this - but I wanted to say it, anyway...

Riamfada · 09-10-2012 1:59pm

I just got back from Nein11. What the **** is going on?

ixoy · 09-10-2012 2:01pm

There's some pretty tasteless stuff posted in After Hours at time - is there an Irish equivalent of this law that could be enacted?

Yakult · 09-10-2012 2:02pm

I'm expecting thousands of arrests in the coming weeks. Everyone who has made an offensive joke needs to go to jail, get raped and then have their lives/reputation ruined for the rest of their sad existence. We can not tolerate offensive jokes published on a private social network page, blog, websites etc. We need to crack down and put these real criminals in jail. :rolleyes:

General General · 09-10-2012 2:03pm

My thoughts on this matter I will not make public online. I would likely end up being arrested.

How long 'til we see some UK citizens up for extradition for comments made that are deemed offensive to some body in a neighbouring EU state? I will be on the look out for that...

Lord Trollington · 09-10-2012 2:04pm

Feeona wrote: »

It takes a special brand of idiot to make sexual jokes in private about a five year old girl who's presumed dead, and an even more special brand of idiot to post them on social media.

What a tool.

If we were to jail every tool in society today. The jails would be pretty full to put it mildly.

If being a tool was his only crime, jail time is harsh.

Zebra3 · 09-10-2012 2:06pm

My name is URL wrote: »

Well he plead guilty to 'sending a grossly offensive public electronic communication'.. I can't find any info about that specific law though.

According to the BBC, the main reason he was sentenced is because of the public reaction to what he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-19869710

Since when do the angered masses get to dictate on what sentence a judge hands down?

Joke:

"A man walks into a bar.............................and says ouch!"

How many people need to get upset by my sexist anti-man joke before I get arrested? :rolleyes:

General General · 09-10-2012 2:06pm

Careful now. Not being offended by what is deemed offensive carries an even harsher sentence...

krudler · 09-10-2012 2:07pm

"offensive" is a very subjective term, I make jokes about the catholic church all the time, does that mean I can be arrested if a rosary rattler takes offence? that mob committed a way more serious offence than he did, wonder can he make a counter case against them, making a joke on facebook is met with threats of physical violence in person? ok then..

slimpickens · 09-10-2012 2:08pm

Bit selective.
How is the shock monger Frankie Boyle free?

_feedback_ · 09-10-2012 2:14pm

Did yiz hear the one about Brian Ormond?

Detective Murphy edit: This poster has "gone away for a little while".

steve9859 · 09-10-2012 2:17pm

My name is URL wrote: »

Saw this mentioned elsewhere. It's from a ruling of the European court of human rights back in 1976

http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-57499

there is a fine line between free speech and 'incitement', which is harmful, rather than just offensive, to the state, and therefore outside of the ruling that you quote.

If something is intended to get a reaction, then it is inciteful. Like I said, a fine line....

Fratton Fred · 09-10-2012 2:19pm

the_monkey wrote: »

And again the disgusting nazi police run UK state send a guy to jail for being an idiot.

What he said was tasteless and he has no respect or compassion, but f*ck he does not deserve jail.

In a few years they will be sending people to Jail for sexist comments, or
just calling people an as*hole...

Disgusting Nazi state.

wow, are you sure?

Nazi state?

over react much?

BQQ · 09-10-2012 2:20pm

slimpickens wrote: »

Bit selective.
How is the shock monger Frankie Boyle free?

Good point!

Jail Frankie Boyle immediately! (for life preferably)

delricyo · 09-10-2012 2:20pm

Zebra3 wrote: »

Joke:

"A man walks into a bar.............................and says ouch!"

How many people need to get upset by my sexist anti-man joke before I get arrested? :rolleyes:

How could you make such a tasteless joke like that :pac: ?
You deserve jail time ...

steve9859 · 09-10-2012 2:21pm

Yakult wrote: »

I'm expecting thousands of arrests in the coming weeks. Everyone who has made an offensive joke needs to go to jail, get raped and then have their lives/reputation ruined for the rest of their sad existence. We can not tolerate offensive jokes published on a private social network page, blog, websites etc. We need to crack down and put these real criminals in jail. :rolleyes:

Like I just said, being offensive is not necessary being 'inciteful' or intended to provoke a reaction. Some dont just cross that line, but smash it into pieces. And it is left to judges to decide which side you are on. The internet makes that a tough call at times

Blisterman · 09-10-2012 2:22pm

I guarantee you that if he'd made the same jokes about somebody who wasn't in the news, there wouldn't be an issue.

Because all eyes are on this case, the police are trying to make it seem as though they're being effective. They're really just pandering to the masses, rather than acting rationally and impartially.

Prove me wrong. Find one example of somebody being arrested for an offensive tweet or facebook post that wasn't about a well known person.

Feeona · 09-10-2012 2:23pm

Lord Trollington wrote: »

If we were to jail every tool in society today. The jails would be pretty full to put it mildly.

If being a tool was his only crime, jail time is harsh.

You're right, he should have gotten a Darwin Award instead!

Latchy · 09-10-2012 2:24pm

Tasden wrote: »

I can see how the lines are blurred between 'real life' and facebook sometimes.

For some yes and sometimes there is only a thin line between what's a joke or what's deemed offensive,it depends on the person .If somebody has 8 or 900 friends on FB and somebody else has maybe 105 you can hazard a guess that the person with less is more likely to know most if not all his/her friends . Quality over quantity is much nicer .

Irish Guitarist · 09-10-2012 2:26pm

I bet people that say "humour is subjective" would feel differently if a member of their family had been murdered and some moron posted 'jokes' about it on the internet.

Making sick 'jokes' is one thing; making them about an actual person is another.

Having said that he shouldn't have been arrested because of an angry mob. It's nothing to do with them (unless they're related to the girl). If anyone was to take action it should have been the family of the girl suing him for libel.

Jailing him is a bit much. He should be banned from accessing the internet instead. I have absolutely no sympathy for him though.

B.A._Baracus · 09-10-2012 2:30pm

On one hand people can argue if 12 weeks was too harsh ... But what was he honestly thinking when he posted it in the first place?

Her sad death is all over the news. Pulled the heart strings of the public. A mob turning up to his house aside, did he not think it would stir crap between people who had him added on facebook? ... cause it was obviously someone who spread what he said.

My name is URL · 09-10-2012 2:31pm

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I bet people that say "humour is subjective" would feel differently if a member of their family had been murdered and some moron posted 'jokes' about it on the internet.

Well naturally. That's the definition of subjective humor.

I bet you'd feel differently about Michael Jackson jokes if you were Michael Jackson's brother

I bet you'd be against the rebel uprising in Syria if you were an al-Assad loyalist

If people were to apply that logic to everything in life then there isn't very much that could be said about anything, because there will always be someone that finds it disagreeable.

steve9859 · 09-10-2012 2:32pm

Latchy wrote: »

For some yes and sometimes there is only a thin line between what's a joke or what's deemed offensive,it depends on the person .If somebody has 8 or 900 friends on FB and somebody else has maybe 105 you can hazard a guess that the person with less is more likely to know most if not all his/her friends . Quality over quantity is much nicer .

The more people you are FBing or tweeting to, the more likely it is that your actions will be interpreted by the authorities as aiming to provoke a reaction.

Likewise, you make a comment about someone in the news, and you are clearly inciting people (and if you don't realise that you are just stupid), as yer man found yesterday when a mob descended on his gaff.

Likewise, if a muslim cleric is preaching Jihad to 2 lads on a street corner, his punishment will be very much different to someone who is preaching hate to 2,000...then it becomes not 'free speech' any more

jackal · 09-10-2012 2:35pm

Blisterman wrote: »

I guarantee you that if he'd made the same jokes about somebody who wasn't in the news, there wouldn't be an issue.

Because all eyes are on this case, the police are trying to make it seem as though they're being effective. They're really just pandering to the masses, rather than acting rationally and impartially.

Prove me wrong. Find one example of somebody being arrested for an offensive tweet or facebook post that wasn't about a well known person.

This is not a celebrity you are talking about, its a 5 year old girl who is missing, presumed dead and obviously a strong suspicion of sexual crimes having occurred would be a painful and distressing factor for the family in any case where a child is kidnapped.

He trolled, not joked, in an appalling fashion, making sexual comments about this girl who did nothing to become a "well known person" other than find herself kidnapped.

The law is there to be applied when required. It will not be applied for any and all cases of disgusting comments, but attention seeking trolling like this is finally receiving the attention it deserves. The kind where people cannot say what they like with no legal consequences. The internet has become a huge media source, with "quotes from twitter" embellishing news stories left right and centre now.

super_furry · 09-10-2012 2:42pm

So should Frankie Boyle be sent to jail for three months for his jokes about Madeline McCann? Only a few days ago he joked about her and Jimmy Saville. Or is it OK because the media spotlight has moved away from her and there's no baying mob outside his door? Why is one man sent to jail for joking about a missing child and another is not?

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Outrage-Frankie-Boyle-s-offensive-Madeleine/story-17018894-detail/story.html

Lingua Franca · 09-10-2012 2:44pm

Sickipedia has been down since at least yesterday, i reckon they're crapping themselves.

I posted facebook jokes about Michael Jackson, Whitney Huston and Neil Armstrong when they died. I had only one person go off at me for only one of those gags. It was about Whitney Huston and the person who let rip at me is a recovering addict I know from a forum saying "I usually like all your other sick jokes and your sense of humour but this one was beyond the pale, how dare you mock someone who had an addiction? I am very hurt and offended and think you should take this down instantly." There was also some crap about how she was disappointed in me.

The devastatingly offensive joke in question?

"We'll never forget you, Britney Whouston"

alphabeat · 09-10-2012 2:46pm

ibarelycare wrote: »

So stupidity is a crime now?

yes, in this case
anyone stupid enough to use Facebook should get jail time.

blatantrereg · 09-10-2012 2:49pm

Dropping him from my friends list would have been my punishment.

davet82 · 09-10-2012 2:50pm

i was told the joke this idiot used was a joke about maddie mccann he copied from sickepedia and ammended it to april jones and posted on his FB so people would think his account was hacked for attention?

Shanotheslayer · 09-10-2012 2:53pm

Why is everyone on Sickipedia not jailed for jokes so?

davet82 · 09-10-2012 2:55pm

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

Why is everyone on Sickipedia not jailed for jokes so?

what if i copied and pasted the joke to an email or a text message do i go to jail?

the list of 'what ifs' is endless when you look at it

Blisterman · 09-10-2012 2:55pm

jackal wrote: »

This is not a celebrity you are talking about, its a 5 year old girl who is missing, presumed dead and obviously a strong suspicion of sexual crimes having occurred would be a painful and distressing factor for the family in any case where a child is kidnapped.

He trolled, not joked, in an appalling fashion, making sexual comments about this girl who did nothing to become a "well known person" other than find herself kidnapped.

The law is there to be applied when required. It will not be applied for any and all cases of disgusting comments, but attention seeking trolling like this is finally receiving the attention it deserves. The kind where people cannot say what they like with no legal consequences. The internet has become a huge media source, with "quotes from twitter" embellishing news stories left right and centre now.

You're missing my point. I wasn't saying it's fair game to make fun of her, because she's famous. I was pointing out the hypocrisy of the police for only perusing people who make jokes about well known figures.

If he'd made the same jokes about any of the thousands of abducted children in Uganda, each of which is equally as tragic a case for the people involved, nobody would bat an eyelid.

ibarelycare · 09-10-2012 2:56pm

alphabeat wrote: »

yes, in this case
anyone stupid enough to use Facebook should get jail time.

Good point, well made :rolleyes:

daRobot · 09-10-2012 2:56pm

The Brits have really got out of hand with this jailing people for distasteful comments lark.

Lingua Franca · 09-10-2012 2:57pm

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

Why is everyone on Sickipedia not jailed for jokes so?

I'd say it's because now that media attention has turned to sickipedia, they've closed down to "upgrade".

efb · 09-10-2012 2:58pm

I often think that some here see trolling as an art form - something to be admired.

I certainly dont

davet82 · 09-10-2012 3:02pm

efb wrote: »

I often think that some here see trolling as an art form - something to be admired.

I certainly dont

i dont either, i'd kick that kid in the nuts if i seen him but in a week where we seen a man walk free for sexually assaulting his neices in Irealnd we look across the water and see a stupid teenager being jailed for hurting somebodys feelings, makes ye wonder, its not a fitting punishment, take his computer off him maybe?

Nulty · 09-10-2012 3:03pm

lukesmom wrote: »

^ this

Agree with above.
If it was an offensive stupid joke fine but the fact that he was thick enough to put
5 year old girl & sexually explicit content together deserves the book thrown at him and I don't care how drunk he was. Been around drunk lads telling jokes, a lot of sexually explicit nature but NEVER about kids and sex.
Never ever.

What are you taking about? Are we allowed think of these jokes? Are we allowed write them down and hide them, are we allowed tell the joke to someone we think will find them funny? Are we allowed tell someone the joke so as to gauge the opinion of someone who hasn't heard it? Would it make a difference if his page was private?

What else do you want to stop people from saying? What's suitable offensive to you other than this? Is denying the holocaust as bad or worse in your estimation? Are we allowed tell holocaust jokes? What if a holocaust survivor tells a holocaust joke or a victim of sexual abuse tells a joke about sexual abuse?

I have tonnes more questions I could ask.

General General · 09-10-2012 3:03pm

efb wrote: »

I often think that some here see trolling as an art form - something to be admired.

I certainly dont

Thinly veiled trolling..

Undercover Elephant · 09-10-2012 3:04pm

steve9859 wrote: »

Likewise, you make a comment about someone in the news, and you are clearly inciting people (and if you don't realise that you are just stupid), as yer man found yesterday when a mob descended on his gaff.

I don't think "incitement" means what you think it means.

El Weirdo · 09-10-2012 3:05pm

efb wrote: »

I often think that some here see trolling as an art form - something to be admired.

It could be argued that proper trolling is.

This isn't proper trolling, it's just called that by the media who have a great, new internet-themed buzzword they can attach to any story about "offensive" posts on Twitter or Facebook.

jackal · 09-10-2012 3:06pm

Blisterman wrote: »

You're missing my point. I wasn't saying it's fair game to make fun of her, because she's famous. I was pointing out the hypocrisy of the police for only perusing people who make jokes about well known figures.

If he'd made the same jokes about any of the thousands of abducted children in Uganda, each of which is equally as tragic a case for the people involved, nobody would bat an eyelid.

What you don't seem to get is that it is the very fact that the case is well known that encouraged said idiot to do his attention seeking troll routine.

If nobody bats an eyelid about children from uganda, then thats not going to attract the attention he craves and he is not really succeeding. So these trolls are always going to go for the high profile things and try to gain attention.

I think the police have better things to be doing than checking peoples facebook for potential trolling. If enough people brought it to their attention, then things would be different.

Thrill · 09-10-2012 3:10pm

efb wrote: »

I often think that some here see trolling as an art form - something to be admired.

I certainly dont

Are you aware that someone under the age of consent could read the comment next to your location?

Disgraceful. You should be locked up.

.

steve9859 · 09-10-2012 3:10pm

Undercover Elephant wrote: »

I don't think "incitement" means what you think it means.

It means intending to provoke a reaction. As far as I can tell, he wasn't being funny, so can only assume he was trying to get some 'bites'. And if he didn't realise he was doing that, then he's an idiot. I've no sympathy for the guy....certainly not losing sleep about him, and his idiot ilk who troll away on social media, being jailed.