Teen girl becomes first person in Britain to be jailed for Facebook bullying

[mc_squared]

Teen girl becomes first person in Britain to be jailed for Facebook bullying


By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:26 PM on 21st August 2009

• Comments (76)
• Add to My Stories

Bully: Keeley Houghton arrives at court to receive a three-month prison sentence

A teenager who posted a death threat on Facebook has become the first person in Britain to be jailed for bullying on a social networking site.
Keeley Houghton, 18, wrote on her personal website that she would kill Emily Moore, whom she had bullied since the pair were at school together.

Miss Moore, also 18, had been victimised by Houghton for four years, the court heard, and previously suffered a physical assault as well as damage to her home.

Abusing her on the internet, Houghton wrote of her victim: 'Keeley is going to murder the b****.'

She continued: 'She is an actress. What a f***ing liberty. Emily F***head Moore.'
The court heard that two days before she made the threat, Houghton had intimidated Miss Moore after spotting her in a pub.
Sara Stock, prosecuting, told the court: 'Emily was in the pub when she saw the defendant who stared at her while she was dancing.
'Later when Emily was sitting on her own the defendant came over and sat next to her and asked her "Are you Emily Moore? Can I have a huggle?" '

She continued: 'Emily told the defendant to leave her alone otherwise she would call the police.

'Keeley then told her 'I'll give you something to ring the police about'.'

Today Houghton sobbed as she was sentenced to three months in a young offenders' institute after pleading guilty to harassment at Worcester Magistrates Court.
The court heard Houghton, of Malvern, Worcestershire, had two previous convictions for her vendetta.
In 2005 she was convicted of assaulting her as she walked home from school and was subsequently expelled from school.
Two years later she was convicted of causing criminal damage to Miss Moore's home after kicking her front door.

District Judge Bruce Morgan told her: 'Since Emily Moore was 14 you have waged compelling threats and violent abuse towards her.
'Bullies are by their nature cowards, in school and society. The evil, odious effects of being bullied stay with you for life.
'On this day you did an act of gratuitous nastiness to satisfy your own twisted nature.'


More...

• Woman sacked on Facebook for complaining about her boss after forgetting she had added him as a friend
• Judge's Facebook ban: Gang thugs face jail if they post menacing photos online

Houghton, who is unemployed, was also given a restraining order banning her from contacting Miss Moore in person, via the internet or in any other manner for five years.

The court heard Houghton had previously tried to excuse her actions by telling police she wrote the death threats while she was drunk late at night and had no memory of it.

But when police examined internet records they discovered Houghton wrote the comments at 4pm on July 12 and kept them on her Facebook page for 24 hours.

At an earlier hearing Houghton told magistrates: 'I don't know why I'm here for trying to apologise.

'She threatened to call the police and all I was doing was saying sorry.'
She sobbed throughout her 15 minute hearing and her friends shouted, 'We love you Keeley' as she was led in handcuffs to the cells.

Facebook bully: Houghton, 18, swore and gave death threats against Emily Moore (file picture)

People have previously been jailed for harassment and stalking on social networking sites but Houghton is thought to be the first to be jailed for bullying via the internet.

Last month an inquest heard how a schoolgirl took a fatal overdose of painkillers after bullies waged a hate campaign against her on Bebo.



Megan Gillan: Found dead by her parents after she took an overdose of painkillers

Megan Gillan, 15, swallowed the tablets to avoid a science exam after classmates posted spiteful messages on the social networking site.
She was found dead in bed by her parents after she failed to come down for breakfast on the day of the exam.
Her death prompted the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, to criticise such sites, saying they encouraged teenagers to build 'transient relationships' that can leave them traumatised when they collapse.
The archbishop, who was appointed to the post in April, said the sites encouraged young people to put too much emphasis on the number of friends they have rather than on the quality of their relationships.

Emma Jane Cross, from campaign group Beatbullying, said: 'The sentencing of an 18-year-old girl for cyber bullying is the first of its kind in the UK and sets an important precedent.

'The sentence handed down spells out that the systematic and serious bullying of a young person by another young person, whether online or off, can be a criminal act which must not go unnoticed.'
She added: 'Cyber bullying is a worrying and fast growing trend which can be more harmful than typical schoolyard bullying.'A teenage girl has become the first Britain to be jailed for bullying via a social network - after sending death threats by Facebook.


Drama on Facebook

Facebook is used by tens of millions of people across the world, but the way some users use the site has led to various dramas.
Last week, a picture surfaced of an alleged Facebook sacking, after an employee ranted about her boss online. He promptly replied, reminding her she had added him as a 'friend' before promptly firing her.
Meanwhile term 'Facebook Rage' is entering our language, often defined as feeling anger when a relationship breaks down and a former partner begins posting updates about their love-life.
It has also been used to describe users, convinced their other half is cheating, who spend hours stalking their partner online in a bid the find further proof to fuel their suspicions, deliberately searching for incriminating evidence.
Facebook was also in the dock a fortnight ago after a judge banned a gang of thugs from posting menacing photographs of themselves online.

In a landmark ruling, nine men pictured making gun gestures on social networking websites will be locked up if such images appear again.
Judge Clement Goldstone QC issued the ban while sentencing members of the Fallowfield Mad Dogs gang for affray. He was shown pictures of them pulling gun poses and talking about 'preparing for war' on a networking site.

Teacher Sonya McNally, 35, from Grimsby, is also currently suspended on full pay since calling her 13-year-old pupils ‘bad’ in a private conversation on the social networking site.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz0Oq4GYCMi