Newtown shooting: police warn of prosecutions for misuse of social media

Connecticut police lieutenant Paul Vance says those responsible for misinformation on could be subject to arrest

Matt Williams in New York

guardian.co.uk, Sunday 16 December 2012



Lieutenant Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police is surrounded by reporters. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

Police investigating the Newtown school shooting have issued a stern warning over "misinformation" regarding the case being posted online, stating that the those behind fake profiles and other misleading information will be prosecuted.

Connecticut state police spokesman Lieutenant Paul Vance told reporters at a briefing in the town on Sunday: "One of the things that is becoming a concern is misinformation is being posted on social mediasites."

Vance noted that in some cases, people had set up social media accounts purporting to belong to the gunman or other people connected to the case. "It has been threatening, it has been inaccurate, it has been people posing as other people," Vance said. Perpetrators "could be subject to arrest", he added.

"It is important to note that we have discussed with federal authorities [that] these issues are crimes," Vance said. "They will be investigated and prosecutions will take place."

Twitter has suspended a number fake accounts that were set up in the aftermath of Friday's shooting: @Pray_Newtown has also been suspended, after Twitter users complained that it was posting pictures of victims of other gun massacres.
As of midday Sunday, however, some accounts, including one parody site in the name of Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old who carried out the Newtown shootings, had yet to be taken down.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/16/newtown-shooting-police-prosecutions-social-media