Internet Troll gets sentenced 18 weeks in prison

**samejamesbond** · 09-16-2011, 02:35 AM

Serves him right for what he did, he posted obscene videos on a
memorial page for a girl who killed herself because of
cyberbullying. The troll, Sean Duffy, did this to several memorial
pages even though he never met a single one of the dead kids.

BBC News - Sean Duffy case highlights murky world of trolling

**elrod21** · 09-16-2011, 08:51 AM

Glad he got a consequence for his actions.

**CatalystiCam** · 09-16-2011, 09:09 AM

good to hear, probably not long enough jail time for all that though.

**joz** · 09-16-2011, 10:14 AM

I think it is a good amount of time for what he did. The more important part was the message that sends out to all the trolls out there. If they get caught, they'll go to jail and their name posted online so everyone will know who they are losing their anonymity.

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 04:38 PM

I think we all agree that he got what he deserved but isn't this bordering on censorship? Admittedly I'm unfamiliar with these laws in the UK but in the US I think this would've turned out much differently, if it ever made it to court. Once we start punishing people for what some people think is "bad speech" then we open the door for people to abuse it and interpret other things as bad and punishable. Slippery slope and all that.

**Slime Slayer** · 09-16-2011, 04:55 PM

I think hate-crime overides freedom of speech.

---------- Post added at 09:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 PM ----------

Rightfully so I might add.

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 04:58 PM

This is a hate crime?

Quote:

: any of various crimes (as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation)

I might've missed a detail somewhere but I don't think this qualifies since it was just some random troll bothering grieving people. It's like how WBC can protest funerals. Well actually it's not really like that because WBC specifically targets people based on grouping, they are committing hate crimes but their speech is protected.

**joz** · 09-16-2011, 04:59 PM

It's a new breed of hate crime. Trolling will become illegal soon. you can quote me on that.

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 05:00 PM

I don't wanna live in a world where trolling is illegal. That's a police state. Who gets to decide what crosses the line?

**Slime Slayer** · 09-16-2011, 05:05 PM

I think what makes this un-acceptable and the WBC acceptable comes down to motive. This guy was spreading evil and fully aware of it. The WBC thinks that what they are doing is a good thing.

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 05:11 PM

I don't buy that. It also goes back to the question, who gets to decide? Personally I think WBC should all be jailed for harassing people and committing hate crimes but their speech is protected just like all other hate groups, which is something the US prides itself on.

I'm not trying to defend the troll in the article but what he did is really no different than someone going into a weight watchers support forum and mocking everyone for being obese and posting graphic pics of liposuction or something similar. Should that person get jail time too or just be banned from the site? The bottom line is this guy is in jail because of an emotional response. That should not factor into legal matters but apparently it does in the UK.

**Slime Slayer** · 09-16-2011, 05:17 PM

See the weight watchers thing would be comedy gold. I see your point though, basically it would come down to some imaginary line that a troll can't cross.

I think that line would be when they cross into what would be concidered personal.

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 05:19 PM

But the point of trolling is to personally offend or bother someone. Unspecific general trolling is lame and usually unfunny.

I wanna be clear that I don't think it's right to troll grieving people. If someone did it to me I'd be out for blood but my rational side knows I'd be wrong for curb stomping them.

**Slime Slayer** · 09-16-2011, 05:31 PM

I just think that it take a special kind of evil to go online and harass mourning family members. It's gonna have to be up to a judge on a case by case scenario I guess. In this case it's sounds like it's justified.

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 05:45 PM

Well if an internet troll can be prosecuted then the WBC should all be jailed for openly doing the same thing but on a larger scale.

But then how about groups like holocaust deniers? Most people think their speech is horrible and insensitive to families of the victims but it's their belief that the jews made it all up for sympathy, should that be protected or prosecuted?

**joz** · 09-16-2011, 06:05 PM

DB made a good point. I have changed the way I feel about the subject here and I now think it stinks. Yes the guy is a douche for doing that, but freedom of speech is more important. I think a better way of dealing with a troll is to simply ban their IP from the sites. Sure they'll find another computer, but if you keep on banning the same person, I'm sure they'll run out of computers to go log in from.

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 06:24 PM

Well people can and are routinely banned from sites, IP blocked and reported to the police for harassment in cases like this. Your ISP makes you sign agreements that you have to abide by online, you breach that they can just shut you off completely. If what you do is illegal and reported by the website the ISP is usually legally obligated to pass it onto the police. So they may not be arrested for trolling but the police paying a visit to your house to question you after your internet is shut off is a pretty strong message.

**Slime Slayer** · 09-16-2011, 06:38 PM

So then there should be no limit to trolling? Is this online or in real life too?

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 06:43 PM

Of course there has to be limits. It's like how you are free to speak your mind as long as it doesn't infringe on other peoples rights. The problem is where is the line drawn and who decides?

**splatglobe 95** · 09-16-2011, 07:45 PM

who is this dude or dudet anyways

?

**Dudebro** · 09-16-2011, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by splatglobe 95

who is this dude or dudet anyways

?

You need to start making sense. I hate to be rude but you're getting on my nerves and I doubt I'm the only one.

What are you asking, who is the person in jail for trolling? Read the article or the first post.

**Slime Slayer** · 09-16-2011, 08:35 PM

I find him funny myself. He's just always so clueless.

**sabby** · 09-16-2011, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevencassidy13

So then there should be no limit to trolling? Is this online or in real life too?

Difference is, people hide online behind an avatar/username. In real life, you do not have that luxury.

I'm not sure if the time fits the crime, but the precedence has now been made. We will see if this stops ~~losers~~ trolling people from continuing their "hobby".

**Kong** · 09-17-2011, 12:07 PM

I agree with Dudebro. Outlawing speech on the Internet is a very slippery slope.

A couple extra things.
This would probably not happen in America. We even protect the KKK.
We are only going to catch the stupid people. The ones that don't know how to hide their identity.
The Internet is international. There will always be some countries that allow this so the best we can do is arrest trolls in a few specific countries.
The guy has aspergers syndrome. I bet nearly all Internet trolls do. I don't mean that aspergers makes you a troll but it does explain the situation a bit and should make it easier for you to just ignore trolls.
The solution to trolls is not more laws.
We should get better at just ignoring them. They want a reaction. Don't give them a reaction and they go away.
We have got very good at blocking spam. We can use the exact same techniques to reduce the impact of trolls. We can not get rid of tolls as completely as spam but we can do better than we are now.
If you can document that someone is harassing you online then you can contact their ISP and they will shut their account off. That is enough, you don't need to send this autistic kid to jail for 4 and a half months and legally ban him from posting on the Internet for 5 years.
Yes what he did was wrong, but put in perspective. There are worse things happening.

**Incubator** · 09-17-2011, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kong

I agree with Dudebro. Outlawing speech on the Internet is a very slippery slope.

A couple extra things.
This would probably not happen in America. We even protect the KKK.
We are only going to catch the stupid people. The ones that don't know how to hide their identity.
The Internet is international. There will always be some countries that allow this so the best we can do is arrest trolls in a few specific countries.
The guy has aspergers syndrome. I bet nearly all Internet trolls do. I don't mean that aspergers makes you a troll but it does explain the situation a bit and should make it easier for you to just ignore trolls.
The solution to trolls is not more laws.
We should get better at just ignoring them. They want a reaction. Don't give them a reaction and they go away.
We have got very good at blocking spam. We can use the exact same techniques to reduce the impact of trolls. We can not get rid of tolls as completely as spam but we can do better than we are now.
If you can document that someone is harassing you online then you can contact their ISP and they will shut their account off. That is enough, you don't need to send this autistic kid to jail for 4 and a half months and legally ban him from posting on the Internet for 5 years.
Yes what he did was wrong, but put in perspective. There are worse things happening.

and that's why people aren't afraid enough, they are all taken care of too gently, not like in the past...
and the worst part is, all the people who gets away with their crime, gives a bad example to other sick people
after all, the men is the most dangerous animal...