An Irish man received a fine for posting a Facebook status update to his former girlfriend's wall under her name. The Central Criminal Court judge found that the status update was a "reprehensible offense" that "damaged the woman's good name" according to the Irish Times, though the man managed to avoid a criminal charge over the post.
The posting was created in April 2011 from the woman's phone after the man found out through her text messages that she had started a new relationship. The man, who also faced and was acquitted of charges for allegedly raping and imprisoning the same woman, logged in and posted as her stating that she was "a whore" would take "any offers."
The criminal charges over the post meant the man faced up to ten years in prison and a €10,000 fine under the Criminal Damage Act of 1991. As the Times writes, "The judge noted there was no relevant precedence to guide him in sentencing." The Criminal Damage Act specifically covers property, and the counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions noted that the incident was more like harassment that caused damage to a reputation.
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