Investigation into McCann internet trolls launched by police

Investigation into McCann internet trolls launched by police

Threats to murder and torture Kate and Gerry McCann, posted by users convinced they are responsible for disappearance of daughter Madeleine, could lead to prosecutions

By Tom Brooks-Pollock
12:01AM BST 02 Oct 2014

Internet trolls who aim abuse, including death threats, at the family of missing girl Madeleine McCann could be prosecuted as part of a new police investigation.
The Metropolitan Police has been passed an 80-page dossier of hundreds of tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums accusing Kate and Gerry McCann of being involved in their daughter’s disappearance in Portugal in 2007, and telling them they should “burn in hell”.
Trolls active in recent years could now be brought to justice, with officers in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service over what action can be taken over the dossier, which was also passed to Sky News.
The evidence was compiled by members of the public, appalled at the campaign of abuse aimed at the McCann’s by the largely anonymous trolls, who are convinced of the McCanns’ guilt despite no supporting evidence.
Posts charted in the dossier include suggestions that the McCanns should be tortured and killed, reports of recent sightings of the couple, and manipulated images of the couple, showing them behind bars or surrounded by piles of cash.

Other messages are directed at Madeleine’s younger siblings, nine-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.
One Twitter troll, whose username is ‘Sweepyface’ and has posted dozens of anti-McCann messages using the #mccann hashtag said that she was “entitled” to attack the couple when confronted by Sky News.
Authors of the dossier are calling on prosecutors to take action against the posters under the Malicious Communications Act 2003, which bans online messages containing threats of violence or that could cause stress or alarm to their targets.
Among the messages identified in the dossier is an exchange on a message board which reads:
“These 2 should burn in hell”; “I will supply the petrol”; “I’ll supply the lighter – happily”.
In one of her tweets, “Sweepyface” called for the McCanns to suffer “for the rest of their miserable lives”.
Other trolls claimed to live near the McCanns in Leicestershire, and detail supposed sightings of the family, in the gym or out shopping.
Six Twitter accounts have been set up to abuse the McCanns, the dossier says, with eight “persistent and prolific” anti-McCann activists identified. Dozens of others are said to have participated in the abuse.
Other tactics include attempts complain about the McCanns through Freedom of Information requests, the bombardment of the BBC Crimewatch show message board and Facebook pages. Anthony Summers, the author of a recent book that argues the McCanns are innocent, has also been targeted.
The campaigner spearheading the appeal, who has asked to remain anonymous, told Sky News that they feared that trolls would one day translate their threats into actions.
They said: “We know that this is still continuing, that it's escalating at an alarming rate, and becoming bolder and a lot of what they're posting is becoming much more sinister.”
Jim Gamble, a former police officer and online security expert, said: “I think the time has come for the hard-core few in the midst of this group to be investigated.”
The Met confirmed the investigation in a letter sent to the authors of the dossier.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/11134162/Investigation-into-McCann-internet-trolls-launched-by-police.html

Madeleine McCann’s parents targeted by internet trolls

Fiona Hamilton
Published at 12:01AM, October 2 2014

Police have launched an investigation into a catalogue of online threats and abuse targeting the family of missing Madeleine McCann.
Scotland Yard has been handed a dossier of more than 80 pages of Tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums aimed at her parents Kate and Gerry McCann.
Internet “trolls”, usually hiding behind anonymous social media accounts, have posted the messages since 2007 when Madeleine, then aged three, disappeared from their holiday resort in Praia de Luz,Portugal

(continues behind the paywall)

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/crime/article4224112.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2014_10_01

McCanns Targeted By 'Venomous' Internet Trolls

Sky News reveals that campaigners are urging police and MPs to crack down on internet abuse directed at Madeleine McCann's family.

00:44, UK,
Thursday 02 October 2014

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

The Metropolitan Police is investigating a catalogue of vile internet abuse targeting the family of Madeleine McCann including death threats, Sky News can reveal.

Officers are in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service after being handed a dossier of more than 80 pages of Tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums aimed at Kate and Gerry McCann.

Over the past few years hundreds of shocking messages have been posted by 'trolls' who believe - despite no evidence - that the McCanns had some involvement in the disappearance of their daughter in Portugal in 2007

These include suggestions that the McCanns should be tortured and killed and calls for them to "burn in hell".

Some messages are even directed at Madeleine's younger siblings, now aged nine.

Manipulated images involving the McCanns - many of them graphic - are also in wide circulation online.

One troll - who uses the Twitter identity "Sweepyface" and has posted dozens of anti-McCann messages using the #mccann hashtag - was confronted by Sky News.

When asked about her use of social media to attack the couple, she replied: "I'm entitled to."

The dossier - compiled by members of the public alarmed at the online treatment of the McCanns and shown to Sky News - calls on police and MPs to act to crack down on such abuse.

The Met wrote to the campaigners: "In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and the McCann family the material will now be assessed and decisions made as to what further action if any should be undertaken."

Among the messages identified in the dossier is an exchange on a message board which reads: "These 2 should burn in hell"; "I will supply the petrol"; "I'll supply the lighter - happily".

Other posts include: "We need some numbers for some assassins on taps", "I hope that the McCanns are living in total misery" and "I want to see them smashed up the back of a bus or trampled by horses".

In one of her tweets "Sweepyface" called for the McCanns to suffer "for the rest of their miserable lives".

In addition to threats and abuse, several trolls have claimed to live nearby to the McCanns in Leicestershire and reported on their movements.

The campaigner spearheading the appeal - who has asked to remain anonymous - told Sky News: "We're very worried that it's only going to take somebody to act out of some of these discussions, some of the threats that have been made, and we couldn't live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing."

Author Anthony Summers, whose book Looking for Madeleine was published last month, said: "There is a campaign of hatred against the parents.

"It is venomous and vitriolic, most of it done by cowards. We are taken aback by the extent of the sheer evil behind it all."

http://news.sky.com/story/1345871/mccanns-targeted-by-venomous-internet-trolls

Police probe trolls sending hate messages to McCanns: Detectives to investigate after being given dossier that catalogues remarks, including death threats

Trolls wrongly believe that Kate and Gerry had some involvement in their daughter's disappearance
Some messages are even directed at Madeleine's younger twin siblings
Majority of those posting messages use anonymous social media accounts
One reads: 'These two should burn in hell'... 'I'll supply the lighter - happily'
Dossier calls on police and MPs to crack down on such vile abuse

By STEPHEN WRIGHT FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 00:06, 2 October 2014 | UPDATED: 00:46, 2 October 2014

Scotland Yard is investigating the posting online of hundreds of hate messages aimed at the McCanns.
Detectives have decided to act after being given a dossier which catalogues the abusive remarks – including death threats – aimed at the couple on Twitter, Facebook and online forums.
The messages have been posted by internet trolls who wrongly believe that Kate and Gerry, both 46, had some involvement in the disappearance of their three-year-old daughter Madeleine in Portugal in 2007.



The couple, who were cleared by police from any part in their daughter’s disappearance, have been told by trolls to ‘burn in hell’.
Some messages are even directed at Madeleine’s younger twin siblings, now aged nine. According to Sky News, ‘manipulated images’ involving the McCanns – many of them graphic – are also in wide circulation online.
The majority of those who post the vile messages use anonymous social media accounts, so their true identities are disguised.

But detectives, who are now in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service after being handed a 65-page dossier on the campaign of abuse, are confident they can identify the culprits.
The dossier – compiled by members of the public who sympathise with the McCanns – calls on police and MPs to crack down on such abuse.
Under the 2003 Communications Act, it is an offence to send messages online that are grossly offensive.

Abuse: The messages have been posted by internet trolls who wrongly believe that Kate and Gerry had some involvement in the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine in Portugal in 2007
One troll – who uses the Twitter identity ‘Sweepyface’ and has posted dozens of anti-McCann messages using the #mccann hashtag – was unrepentant when confronted over her campaign.
When asked about her comments directed at the McCanns, she told Sky News: ‘I’m entitled to.’ Among the other messages in the dossier is an exchange on a message board which reads: ‘These two should burn in hell’… ‘I will supply the petrol’… ‘I’ll supply the lighter – happily’.
Other posts include: ‘We need some numbers for some assassins’ and ‘I want to see them… trampled by horses.’
Also, several trolls claim to live near to the McCanns. One troll who claimed to live in their village posted: ‘I’m going round with the cuffs and bags.’
Another troll who claimed to live locally said: ‘Saw KM at the gym today, gave her a look of utter disgust, managed to hold my tongue though.’
The dossier’s authors claim that at least six Twitter accounts have been set up principally to abuse the McCanns and their supporters.
The campaigner spearheading the appeal – who has asked to remain anonymous – told Sky News: ‘We’re very worried that it’s only going to take somebody to act out some of these discussions, some of the threats, and we couldn’t live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing.’
Former police chief and online child security expert Jim Gamble said: ‘I’m deeply concerned by the behaviours displayed… I think the time has come for the hardcore few in the midst of this group to be investigated.’
Detective Inspector Michael Kilkenny of the Metropolitan Police told the campaign group: ‘In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and the McCann family, the material will now be assessed and decisions made as to what further action, if any, should be undertaken.’
Last night the McCanns declined to comment.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2777145/Police-probe-trolls-sending-hate-messages-McCanns-Detectives-investigate-given-dossier-catalogues-remarks-including-death-threats.html#ixzz3Ex8Hdolo

I would also like to add my congratulations to the "members of the public" who were instrumental in bringing to the attention of the police the actions of these sick and perverted individuals.

I wonder how many will in fact be investigated by the Police? From the news articles it is clear that a goodly number are involved in the investigation already. It may well be that those encouraging the abuse by the setting up of pages etc. may be guilty of more serious offences than merely posting grossly offensive material. I look forward to seeing prosecutions regarding these abuses but even if no prosecutions take place I am encouraged by the fact that the police are treating this seriously and that the individuals concerned are now becoming known to the authorities and will hopefully be monitored in future.

Clearly the journalists are already aware of the identity of some of the people involved. Perhaps some of these individuals do not realise that at the request of the authorities almost every single social media platform is perfectly willing to offer up their full details on a platter? And, of course, with Facebook large numbers of the numpties have offered up their details themselves so the work of the police will be that much easier.

To the person who hoped that Tony Bennett (the failed solicitor and convicted abuser of the McCanns from Harlow) will be included, I personally doubt if he will figure in this cohort of perverted individuals currently being investigated. Tony Bennett is not a hero leader of the numpties as some believe. He is in fact a snivelling coward. He bragged for years that he wanted to take this case to court, to see the McCanns questioned and so on. But when given the chance he fled with his tail between his legs. Then he tried to abuse the McCanns sneakily and failed miserably when reminded by the Judge during his sentencing that inferential libel was still libel. He made the excuse to his followers that finance was the problem which suggests that his understanding of law is pathetic for a former solicitor who should have known from the start about the probable costs of any actions on his part or that he is a fraud who never had any intention of putting himself at risk. Personally I agree with Mr Justice Tugendhat that the former reason for his excuse is the most likely; that he is a bumbling buffoon whose understanding of law is so flimsy that he didn't even know what kind of trial he was facing. Mr Justice Tugendhat had to remind him frequently during the High Court Trial that he was the person on trial, not the McCanns.

Since then Bennett has used his forum (ostensibly run by Jill Havern but in truth it is clear he has the final word there) to organise others to do his dirty work. He is hiding behind others. Were the Police to look at him, though, the simplest scan of his computers would prove this to be the case. One slip, Bennett and that will be happening. Perhaps we can find that slip in his posts. I encourage those who are behind this dossier to take a careful look at the postings of this disgraced and criminal person because there will be something there for sure which proves he is simply taunting the courts and is actually continuing his vile activities hidden behind other people's skirts. And no matter that his suspended prison sentence no longer hangs over him, were he to face the court again for the same kind of reason prison would certainly beckon. And nobody would be fooled (other than the morons on Haverns) that he was a martyr. He would have proven himself yet again to be a failure, a fool and a disgrace.

Rothley Pillowcase™
‏@RothleyPillow
@skymartinbrunt Tell #McCann s the Pillowcase says that we procreate faster than Argonauts > If one goes down > three come back up >> #FACT

6:02 PM - 1 Oct 2014

Rothley Pillowcase™
‏@RothleyPillow
@censorednewsnow In fact > I'm gonna go and piss in a bucket outside right now! And leave i to settle overnight > @skymartinbrunt #McCann
censorednewsnow.com
7:33 PM - 1 Oct 2014

Rothley Pillowcase™
‏@RothleyPillow
@vivienmiss I have a bucket of piss > which I've already pissed in 3 times Not having my GF scared cozza Twunty! #McCann @summersandswan
Reply Retweet Favorite More
10:01 PM - 1 Oct 2014

Rothley Pillowcase™
‏@RothleyPillow
@PORTUGALONLINE My bucket of piss is ready and prepared for @skymartinbrunt > Oh > And we all carry personal attack alarms here! #McCann
Reply Retweet Favorite More
IsabelleMcFadden
8:36 PM - 1 Oct 2014

That forker with the thing like a burnt doll's head with a feather stuck in it for an avatar imagines 'something is up' because:

That hell hole of a stalking cesspit Stop The Myths has been down for ages, citing 'maintenance'.

 No it hasn't. It moved to a new site what, a week ago:

http://www.stopthemyths.info/viewtopic.php?f=115&t=7098&sid=1ee2e177a8ecc7823cd2040e589af047

Oh, don't tell me they've all been staring at the old site?

Zora McCartney
11 hrs · Edited
Just to be clear - we do NOT support ANY suggestion of THREATS, VIOLENCE or HARASSMENT directed towards the McCann family.
Any such comments will be deleted. Please contact admins if you see something in this vein. [hate speech redacted]

Kay Burley ‏@KayBurley 3h3 hours ago
It would appear that @sweepyface has now deleted her account after being reported to police as an alleged #mccann troll

Sky news hang your heads in shame, reporting that "vile trolls" harassing the mcscams by posting tweets that upset them then turning up at that poor woman's House and demanding she speaks to them while showing every nut case in Britain exactly where she lives and what car she drives, shameful!

Middle class woman who lives in perfect English village is online troll who now faces arrest after sending hate messages to the McCanns
Trolls wrongly believe McCanns were involved in daughter's disappearance
They post abusive messages online directed at parents and their children
One post said: 'These two should burn in hell'.. 'I'll supply lighter - happily'
Majority of those posting messages use anonymous social media accounts
One, tweeting as @sweepyface, has been identified as middle-aged woman
When approached over her abusive comments, she said: 'I'm entitled to'
Dossier of trolling calls on police and MPs to crack down on such vile abuse
By STEPHEN WRIGHT FOR THE DAILY MAIL and HARRIET ARKELL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 00:06, 2 October 2014 | UPDATED: 14:35, 2 October 2014

This middle-aged, middle class woman has been unveiled as one of the trolls accused of targeting vile internet abuse at Madeleine Mccann's parents.
Scotland Yard is currently investigating the posting online of hundreds of hate messages aimed at the McCanns, whose daughter disappeared during a family holiday to Portugal in 2007.
Detectives have decided to act after being given a dossier from McCann family supporters which catalogues the abusive remarks – including death threats – aimed at the couple on Twitter, Facebook and online forums.
And this woman, who has posted dozens of messages attacking the McCanns using the Twitter handle @sweepyface, has been identified as one of them.


This woman, using the Twitter name @sweepyface, is one of the trolls targeting Madeleine McCann's parent

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2777145/Police-probe-trolls-sending-hate-messages-McCanns-Detectives-investigate-given-dossier-catalogues-remarks-including-death-threats.html#ixzz3F0ckb7Aj
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 Isabelle Hutton @PORTUGALONLINE

now

California Girl @PORTUGALbound

http://www.stopthemyths.info/viewtopic.php?f=115&t=7098&sid=f6c42805c066bd5b14ca948c058316c6&start=100

Police investigate McCann trolls
Postby tigerloaf » Thu Oct 02, 2014 3:59 pm

I've just read through the entire #AskBrunt tag.

What a blinding success!

Brunt could have done nothing better to expose the pig ignorance, the filthy minds and the downright idiocy of the anti McCann tweeters.

Well done Martin Brunt and Sky News. An excellent idea which clearly did exactly as you hoped.

I may (if I can be bothered) later expose some of the more stupid, vile and downright obscene posts here later.

In the meantime the lunatics can be seen proving the exact point that Brunt and Sky News have been making all day on that tag.

So incredibly stupid that they fell right into the trap, gave more evidence of the nature and intensity of the trolling and made themselves look like the complete prats they really are.

http://www.bestdaily.co.uk/your-life/news/a600662/the-dramatic-confrontation-of-the-woman-known-as-sweepyface-who-is-making-the-mccanns-lives-hell.html

The dramatic confrontation of the woman known as Sweepyface, who is making the McCann's lives hell

Thursday, Oct 2 2014 WRITTEN BY Yara Silva

Sky News have successfully unmasked an internet troll



Kate and Gerry McCann have become the targets of vile Twitter trolls, who have been sending them abusive messages and even death threats.

The Metropolitan police are now investigating the abuse, and officers have compiled a dossier of Tweets, Facebook posts and messages on forums aimed directly at Madeleine McCann's parents.

Since Maddie disappeared in Portugal in 2007, her mum and dad have been tortured by abuse. Even before the rise of social media, they would receive threatening messages in the post from people who think Kate and Gerry were somehow involved.

As yet, no one has been arrested for the abuse, but Officers are now in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service to crack down on the trolling.



One particular Twitter user, known online as Sweepyface, is responsible for dozens of horrible posts directed at the McCanns, including saying she wishes they would suffer "for the rest of their miserable lives".

She was confronted by Sky News about her tweets, saying that she was 'entitled to' post whatever she wanted.

The police believe it's now time to step in to stop this bullying. Kate and Gerry were in no way involved with the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine.

Chillingly, the movements of the McCann's two younger children are now also being posted online, making them more susceptible to abuse.

tigerloaf » Thu Oct 02, 2014 4:36 pm
I have just read the response to Martin Brunt from the self-confessed drug addict Rosalind, Rosalinda, Linda Hutton. Perhaps when she stops smoking the drugs she will find herself more easily and settle on a single name. Only rather odd people use so many variations of their own name on a regular basis.

As for her response. She is a liar or a fantasist or most likely high on that drug she enjoys so much. (It has always puzzled me why an old woman like Hutton would think it clever or sensible to post so publicly that she smokes illegal substances.)

Where are these obscene pictures of her? I've certainly never seen any such pictures.

Her reference to the mauling she received on Amazon over her description of the time she spent in an orphanage when her mother abandoned her is also rather strange. She seems not to have noticed that the most vociferous reviews of her work were absolutely nothing to do with her stance on the McCann case but came from others who had also been in the same orphanage and who were highly critical of her description, a description of the place which they state clearly that they do not recognise.

But the crucial point about the review is that she has entirely missed the point of the action of Sky News and their reporter, Martin Brunt. She says that they have highlighted the most obnoxious 1% of the McCann commentary. She says that this obscene and perverted commentary would not be tolerated on forums.

That was precisely the point, you silly woman. This abuse is not on forums. It is precisely this foul and abusive use of Twitter and Facebook which the Brunt report is making known to the British Public. It is the most excessive and threatening abuse that the reports are making known to the British Public. The forum material is often foul but does not rank as badly as what Brunt clearly knows about from the uncontrolled areas of Social Media.

Christobel (aka Rosalind, Linda or is it Rosalinda today?) also very conveniently forgets that there is almost never any criticism of this foul, obscene and abusive commentary from her or her bosom buddies on the forums. The forums do use the photoshopped pictures of course and do associate closely with the Facebook and Twitter trolls.

By trying to distance herself only now from the most horrendous filth that up till now she has been very happy to condone she shows herself up as a hypocrite and coward. By trying to make the 1% seem almost inconsequential she shows just where her own feelings really lie. She is a hater. She showed that on Icke TV when she rocked and rolled and managed to do nothing but explain how she despised the McCanns. She lied then about only asking questions. She lied about being able to back up her claims and now she is lying by inferring that the 1% of the commentary that is unbelievably vile and nasty is merely inconsequential.

I would love Brunt to go round to her little house and interview her about her attitude and her theories. He would make mincemeat of her. Perhaps she will make my day and offer to do a real interview with a real journalist? I don't see her volunteering for that but I live in hope of her proving me wrong (for the first time on anything).

Jayelles » Thu Oct 02, 2014 4:09 pm
And still it seems that the haters do not understand the difference between expressing a legitimate opinion or asking a legitimate question and seven years of continuous abuse and hateful misinformation.

Major irony is the way they immediately leap to censor anyone who criticises them. There is not one single hounder who would have tolerated a fraction of what the McCanns have endured.

I almost hate to say it, but this is one area where Pat Brown has a smidgeon of personal integrity (only a smidgeon). She says she believes in freedom of speech and uses this to say WTF she likes about anyone and everyone. However, "in general", she doesn't try to censor others who do likewise. She doesn't like it and whines about it from time to time (calling them her "haters"), but she doesn't go off on one trying to get sites shut down the way JoMo, and others do. I can respect that to some degree.

If you truly believe in freedom of speech, then you have to apply it across the board, and that means to your own detractors too.

I don't believe that freedom of speech means a free rein to stalk, abuse and harass the family of a missing child. They should start counting their own blessings and leave the police in UK/PT to get on with their jobs.

tigerloaf wrote: I see that Sweepyface has removed her Twitter account.

Why, I wonder has she felt the need to remove her account?

If she was so certain that she was entitled to comment in the way that she has been doing what is the problem?

Or is she another snivelling coward (like Buffoon Bennett for example) who when push comes to shove knows full well that their actions are very probably illegal and are indefensible and is now for that reason trying to cover up her atrocious actions? Far too little, far too late. The police will already have downloaded the entire history of her tweeting. If they haven't I am sure there are people who have done and will very willingly hand a copy over to them.

Is she hoping that her friends in her nice little village will not find out just what a vile human being she really is? Too little, too late. I am absolutely certain that she will now be the talk of the village. That vile woman whose actions brought Sky News and Martin Brunt to the village today.

ps It would be quite amazing if somebody who personally knows this Sweepyface doesn't let slip her identity in the next few days, quite possibly somebody who has a grudge against her in the village because people who are prepared to post the kind of nastiness she is now famous for online will be equally nasty in real life.

Someone so opinionated would surely have ticked off someone in her village?