While many people today find that posting their favorite selfie to social media is a harmless and fun way to share with their friends, a Delhi Township man found out the hard way that doing so while committing a crime will have consequences.
The suspect was charged with theft after pictures of himself sitting in a stolen vehicle appeared on a social media website. In addition to the car, the man allegedly stole a television, a gaming system, a laptop, and a cell phone. Police were led to the suspect using DNA as well as the suspect's own photograph.
Many people often overlook the fact that what they post on social media is out there for the world to see. In some cases, such as this one, the act of posting on social media has become so common, that many people forget that what they post can be viewed by virtually anyone and that posting illicit photos will lead to harsh consequences.
Although it is hard to believe that a person would post a photo of a theft crime publicly, it happens quite a bit. A simple search via Google for "catching criminals on social media" turns up many articles highlighting how law enforcement has successfully used the internet as a means to nab unsuspecting suspects. While this seems like an easy way to catch criminals, there remains a potential for innocent people to be targeted.
Say for instance an innocent person posts a photo of an illegal act, but was not the person involved in the act. Law enforcement may target the uploader of the photo despite the fact that the poster had nothing to do with the photo in question. The overlap between a person's right to privacy and what is considered to be public domain is great, and courts will increasingly have to deal with this dilemma.
If you feel you have been unfairly targeted by law enforcement over your use of social media, the criminal defense attorneys at Bleile & Dawson can fight for you. We are extremely knowledgeable in criminal law, especially when it comes to defending our clients against wrongful accusations, whether in Cincinnati or elsewhere in the State of Ohio or the Commonwealth of Kentucky. If you feel that you have wrongly been accused of a crime and seek to find the best possible representation to fight for you, hire a law firm that puts the client first and fights hard to protect the client.
Contact us today to schedule a confidential case evaluation at (513) 399-5945.