Teen charged with harassing antigame activist.

[meleemario]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6141010.html

A 16-year-old Texas gamer who threatened to torture and kill antigaming pundit Jack Thompson was arrested earlier today at his high school by the Harris Country Sheriff's Office, according to Thompson, a Florida attorney.

"The specifics of the torture with which Thompson was threatened are so grotesque that they cannot be properly placed in this news release," Thompson wrote in a mass e-mail addressed to news outlets, politicians, and industry groups. "The torture was to end with the shooting of Thompson, as in this teen's favorite games."

The Sheriff's Office public information officer, Lt. John Martin, could not confirm for GameSpot that the child had been arrested because the detective and sergeant assigned to the case had both left for the day. However, he did confirm that the boy had been charged with harassing communication, a misdemeanor offense. Harassing communication can either be a class B misdemeanor with jail time of up to six months and a fine up to $2,000, or a class A misdemeanor if the accused has prior convictions, which would entail up to a year behind bars and a fine of up to $4,000. Martin noted that a sentence might be handled differently because of the accused's status as a minor.

For charges in a harassing communication case to be filed, Martin noted that the burden of proof would be on the complainant (Thompson says he taped the phone call in which the threat was made). Martin also said that whether or not the harassing party actually had the means to carry out a threat was not a determining factor in bringing charges.

"The threshold for accepting charges or declining them is whether or not the complainant was in fear for his life," Martin noted, "not whether or not the complainant had the ability to carry it out. But just making threats would be an offense in itself."

In Thompson's e-mail, the attorney tied the threat to a general campaign against him on the part of the game industry.

"'Shoot the messenger' is the video game industry's strategy," Thompson wrote. "This time, because of the arrest in Texas, it didn't work. It backfired."

 

[Mino]

"The torture was to end with the shooting of Thompson, as in this teen's favorite games."

>__>

What's with him and saying everythign people do is related to their favorite video games?

Hmm, my favorite video game is Halo 2, but the biggest gun I've ever shot was a BB Gun. >__>

 

[Bulerias]

Well, I have to say that killing and torturing him isn't the right thing to do, but he seriously asked for it.

 

[beakmanthegreat]

lol, bul, you need 2 lighten up!
see the bright side!
video games are POLITICS, now, man!
if that doesnt mean they are a HUGE part of culture, than i dont know what does!

i should call him and say, "i play animal crossing, but that doesnt mean i talk to animals!"

 

[meleemario]

lol, bul, you need 2 lighten up!
see the bright side!
video games are POLITICS, now, man!
if that doesnt mean they are a HUGE part of culture, than i dont know what does!

i should call him and say, "i play animal crossing, but that doesnt mean i talk to animals!"

Boy, that'd be amusing, if you do that, let us know :rofl:!

 

[Linkerator]

I'm just happy that Thompson gave up a month ago.


^_^ I wanted to punch the guy, but not try to kill him.


If you play a violent shooter game, you'll play a violent shooter game, not kill a whole bunch of people. :yes:

 

[beakmanthegreat]

i dont have the GUTS to BARRAGE him with that MISSLE of an ASSUALT of that scale! he is SUCH an idiot...

 

[Jeremy]

He doesn't relize that the games are rated and it's the parents responisbilty to watch what their kids play. It's just like any movie.

 

[Bulerias]

Seriously, the ESRB are there not to ENFORCE, but to SUGGEST. He can't seem to grasp that. I've even heard rumors of him wanting to get the ESRB started from scratch... >__<

And as Storm said, the parents are responsible.

 

[meleemario]

True, but when it comes to gaming, the way I see it, all that is defied, cos if there's a game the kid wants to play, the parents will go out and buy it, whether it's rated E, or M.

 

[ƒish]

that guys pretty dumb...

well, both of them are...

really... the kid had it comming to him, threatening the guy... (what an idiot.)

and Thompson... well, that guy could really use a swift kick in the *special place*

i think just as an insult, someone should send him a copy of animal crossing, then tell him to find the violence in the game that should be illigal... if he brought up the "Net" there's too much pushing against him for him to fight it off.

anyway, yeah, hi.

 

[Furry Sparks]

[quote author="

 

[ƒish]

[quote author="

 

[Furry Sparks]

acctually, it DOES make sence! i hope he does say that


^_^

 

[Linkerator]

I'm going to call Jacko asking if he actually playes any of these games he talks about.

 

[mage pk]

wow!