Facebook and Twitter are full of "troll" accounts, but not many of them are run by police officers. Such is the case, however, with a policeman from the U.K. who created fake Facebook accounts to virtually attack a woman who made negative comments about a contestant on X-Factor.
After reading some disparaging Facebook comments Nicola Brookes wrote about a contestant on the musical game, the policeman decided to create fake Facebook accounts to spread slanderous information about Brookes. Some of the comments painted her as a drug user, prostitute, and child abuser.
Eventually Brookes' home address was published on Facebook by a fake account and she decided it was time for the online abuse to stop. She won a High Court Judgment back in June which required the names, e-mails, and IP addresses of the fake Brookes accounts. The court order lead to the arrest of the police officer. The Guardian received a statement from the West Midlands police force in regards to the policeman troll:
"The investigation is ongoing by Sussex police, and the allegations do not relate to use of police systems. The officer has not been suspended. The officer is not a frontline officer".
The U.K. government has yet to pass a proposed defamation bill. If the bill passes sites would be required to reveal the IP addresses and names of so-called trolls at a much faster rate. I suggest troll offenders pick up an hobby because online bullying is not being taken lightly.
[viaPC World]