Sunday, August 14, 2011

UK police arrests 10 more over Facebook posts inciting riots

UK police arrests 10 more over Facebook posts inciting riots*

By Emil Protalinski

August 11, 2011


Summary: 10 more men have been arrested in connection with messages they posted on Facebook allegedly encouraging people to riot in the UK.

Scotland Yard vowed to track down and arrest protesters who posted “really inflammatory, inaccurate” messages on Facebook, but it didn’t stop at just two people. While two teenagers were arrested this week in connection with messages posted on Facebook allegedly encouraging people to start rioting, 10 more have now joined them, according to the BBC.

Two are from St Leonards-on-Sea. 27-year-old Nathan Sinden, who is alleged to have posted Facebook messages encouraging criminal damage and burglary, has been remanded in custody. Arrested on Wednesday, he appeared before Hastings Magistrates’ Court this morning. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill. He has been freed on police bail until August 22.

Two men from Lancashire have been charged after allegedly posting messages encouraging disorder on Facebook. 25-year-old Christopher Schofield and 19-year-old Warren Calvert have been charged with intentionally encouraging or assisting in the commission of an either way offence, believing it would be committed. Schofield was bailed to appear before Burnley Magistrates’ Court on August 15 and Calvert is due at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court on August 25.

Cheshire police say a 24-year-old man from Runcorn, a 22-year-old man from Warrington, and a 16-year-old boy from Macclesfield were also arrested on Wednesday and remanded in custody. The three will appear before magistrates today, accused of inciting public disorder through postings on Facebook and other social networks.

In Guernsey, three men were accused of misusing Facebook. They were charged and bailed for allegedly trying to use the social network to incite a riot, which is an offence under the island’s telecommunications law.

* Url:http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/uk-police-arrests-10-more-over-facebook-posts-inciting-riots/2505