A Memphis man has reportedly been arrested for “liking” a photo posted on a social media site depicting a woman who had a restraining order against him. The fact that a person can be charged with violating a protective order for responding to an implicit invitation to “like” a social media post seems strange enough. As the story gains legs on the Internet, it gets even stranger.
To start with, the man is an online personality. The radio industry magazine Radio Ink refers to Thaddeus Matthews as an “online Memphis talk show host.” Matthews’ website claims he is “the baddest man on radio.”
His Website indicates he might not currently be broadcasting via radio but may have formerly appeared on a Memphis AM radio station. “Even though I am not broadcasting on radio THE THADDEUS MATTHEWS SHOW is aired twice daily … via thaddeusmatthews.com” the Website says.
The most prominent links in search results about the social-media “like” arrest point to a story from the Daily Caller, an online news publication. Founded in 2010 by a veteran journalist and a one-time chief policy adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney, the Daily Caller boasts 9 million monthly viewers. Daily Caller attributes facts in its story to a story posted on Radioink.com – the online site for the printed bi-weekly radio trade publication.
Thing is, the Daily Caller’s version does not quite line up with its source’s version of the story. Radio Ink reports the video images Matthews “liked” were posted on the woman’s Socialcam site. Daily Caller reports Mathews was arrested on violation of a protective order after he “liked” images on the woman’s Facebook status.
The difference might be a minor detail. Socialcam is a video sharing application that allows users to post videos from their cellphones, potentially to multiple social media sites including Facebook and Twitter. But the Radio Ink story linked from the Daily Caller story does not mention Facebook.
Daily Caller says the woman showed police “multiple screenshots of Matthews’ Facebook Like” — an account Daily Caller attributes to Radio Ink. Radio Ink says the woman showed police “two screenshots showing Matthews liking the video,” Fair enough – “two screenshots” is “multiple screenshots” but the original Radioink.com story does not mention Facebook.
Devil is in the Details
Where the man liked the social media post and how many screen shots the woman provided police may be minor details, but the take-home is that police might charge a person for responding to any social media interaction when a restraining order is involved. It might or might not involve a well-known social media site such as Facebook.
The Daily Caller also mentions that Mathews had been previously arrested on child pornography charges. But again, the Daily Caller might be short on details. For a source on those charges, Daily Caller cites a Memphis metropolitan daily newspaper – the Commercial Appeal.
According to the Memphis newspaper, Matthews told police that, during one of his online talk-show broadcasts, he had posted on Facebook images of an adult man engaged in a sex act with a young child to help police identify the adult involved.
Based on what we know from sparse online reports, there is little we can say about the veracity of charges in these cases. What is important for readers is to know that, for a person served with a protective order, police might find cause to allege a violation for something as simple as lifting a finger. That is all it takes to click a mouse button to like a social media message.
Strategy Session: Tulsa Protective Order Defense Attorney
When you have been charged with violating a protective order in Tulsa, you may face steep bail requirements or long pre-trial detention. None of that means you are guilty.
If you have been charged with violating a protective order, contact a Tulsa protective order defense attorney at Wirth Law Office. A conviction can result in fines, long-term imprisonment and lifelong loss of certain rights and privileges. Now is the time to defend yourself.
For an initial strategy consultation with a Tulsa protective order defense attorney, contact the Wirth Law Office’s Tulsa criminal attorney at 918-87901681, or toll free at 888-Wirth-Law. You may also contact us be e-mail using the from at the top of this page.
