Named and Shamed Twitter Trolls

Named and shamed: The Twitter trolls who made vile threats to rape and kill TV historian Mary Beard and two female MPs

By Vanessa Allen, James Chapman, James Tozer and Mark Duell

PUBLISHED: 15:56, 29 July 2013 | UPDATED: 07:58, 30 July 2013


MP attack: Stella Creasy was told on Twitter she would be tracked down and raped, with the terrifying threat: 'Shall we meet near your house?'

Internet trolls have been named and shamed after two female MPs and a number of other prominent women received rape and death threats.

Stella Creasy was told on Twitter she would be tracked down and raped, with the terrifying threat: ‘Shall we meet near your house?’

She was targeted because she had backed feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez who suffered similarly vile online messages - leading one alleged abuser to be arrested and bailed.

The second MP, Claire Perry, received death threats relating to her fight against pornography on the internet.

TV historian Mary Beard won a grovelling apology from one troll after she publicised his abusive message and other Twitter users threatened to inform his family.

In other developments, a senior police chief said Twitter had not done enough to tackle trolls, while more than 64,000 people called for the networking service to act against abuse

The 64,000 petitioners signed an online demand for Twitter to take a ‘zero  tolerance’ policy on abuse and install a button to report such attacks.

The petition began as an outlet for public outrage over the torrent of  abuse directed at Miss Criado-Perez, who had led a campaign for women to be represented on banknotes.


Support: Miss Creasy (left) had been standing up for feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez (right) who also faced a menacing tirade after succeeding in getting Jane Austen's picture on a new bank note


Shocking: MP Claire Perry received death threats relating to her fight against pornography on the internet

When Miss Creasy spoke out in support a Twitter user, calling himself @rapey1, threatened: ‘I will rape you tomorrow at 9pm. Shall we meet near your house?’

Another said: ‘You better watch your back. I’m gonna rape you at 8pm and put the video all over the internet.’


The Labour member for Walthamstow in London sent their messages to her own Twitter followers, adding: ‘You send me a rape threat you morons I will report you to the police and ensure action taken.’

She said: ‘It is vile, absolutely vile. It’s not about sexual attraction, it’s about power. It is somebody trying to make you frightened. It is about sex as a weapon.

‘It’s not just me. Women who speak out in public life, especially if they champion equality, get serious abuse.

‘I get comments about my sexuality, I get comments about my attractiveness, my intelligence, we get random abusive messages every time we speak up.

‘But one of the things you can do as an MP is say “This is not OK and there will be consequences for it”.’

Mrs Perry, the Conservative MP for Devizes in Wiltshire, said: ‘I am tempted to shut down my Twitter account given the trolling going on, including to me, but that would be giving in.’


Rape threat: Steally Creasy, MP for Walthamstow in north-east London, hit out at Twitter's security policies after she drew a barrage of threats and warned the 'morons' behind the abuse would face justice

She was dubbed a ‘dumb bitch’ and threatened with sex attacks and death for her stance against pornography.

One Twitter troll wrote: ‘Please disappear into obscurity and/or alcoholism. Or die, whatever. The main thing is you should f*** off and never return.’


Arrested: Jack Riley, 21, was detained by police at his parents' home in Prestwich, Manchester, on Sunday and taken to London for questioning

Both Miss Creasy and Miss Criado-Perez, 29, criticised Twitter for initially ignoring their complaints.

Miss Criado-Perez, a freelance journalist, turned to the police after receiving no response from Twitter and a man was arrested over his tweets.

Jack Riley, 21, was detained by police at his parents’ home in Prestwich, Manchester, on Sunday and taken to London for questioning.

He was alleged to have been responsible for at least one of the offensive messages sent to Miss Criado-Perez.

He was released yesterday and bailed until a date in September.

His brother Sam, 26, a part-time club DJ, said: ‘Nine cops coming to the house over some comments on Twitter, taking him to London to be questioned is ridiculous, fact.

'He’s not the only one, 100s made worse comments ... if you look at the tweets he hasn’t threatened anyone.’

Both brothers work at a nearby Vauxhall car dealership, where Jack was said to be an assistant.

His boss Alan Grimshaw said he was aware of the arrest, adding: ‘Obviously what he has been accused of is totally unacceptable behaviour by anybody.

'Jack has worked for me for more than five years, he is a great employee and something like this is totally out of character for him.

'We need to learn the facts.’


Threats: Miss Creasy said the abusive behaviour 'will have consequences', speaking out as the online petition calling for Twitter to review its procedures notched up more than 59,000 signatures


Abuse: One message told Miss Creasy: 'You better watch your back. I'm gonna (sic) rape your a** and out the video all over the internet'

Historian names and shames Twitter troll: Support for Mary Beard sees user issue grovelling apology

By Vanessa Allen, James Chapman, James Tozer and Mark Duell

PUBLISHED: 15:56, 29 July 2013 | UPDATED: 07:58, 30 July 2013

A leading historian got her own back on Twitter trolls yesterday after using the site to name and shame a student posting vile abuse on her profile.

Mary Beard retweeted – or forwarded – to her thousands of followers a message from Oliver Rawlings in which he called her a ‘filthy old slut’ with a revolting sexual comment.

It prompted a flurry of online support for the 58-year-old TV presenter – including an offer from one of her 42,000 followers to pass on the home address of her abuser’s mother.

Within minutes, Rawlings, 20, tweeted her a grovelling apology.


Taking on the trolls: Mary Beard, left, retweeted to her thousands of followers a message from Oliver Rawlings, right, in which he called her a 'filthy old slut'

Professor Beard, a Cambridge University classicist, said she decided to retweet the insults because exposing trolls was the best tactic.

‘I have increasingly opted for name and shame,’ she said. ‘It has to be outed. And maybe his friends can say “stop”.’

One of her own followers provided the ‘stop’ with the offer of the family address.

John Wilson contacted her saying: ‘Mary, if you would like to send a copy [of] @Rawlings153’s tweet to his mother, Joanne, I’d be happy to give you the postal address.’

Shortly afterwards, Rawlings wrote: ‘I sincerely apologise for my trolling. I was wrong and very rude.


Shocking: Oliver Rawlings, 20, called Mary Beard, 58, a 'filthy old slut' and posted a revolting sexual comment

‘Hope this can be forgotten and forgiven. Thanks 4 showing me the error of my ways.’

Professor Beard, who is currently presenting a BBC2 programme on Roman emperor Caligula, accepted his apology with a simple ‘thank you’, adding: ‘Sorry about that nasty retweet. But I’m not going to be terrorised.’

Both she and Rawlings, a former pupil at £9,759-a-year Cheadle Hulme School in Cheshire, deleted the original message he sent.

However, her many followers then turned the tables on Rawlings, berating him for his behaviour until he eventually tweeted: ‘Please leave me alone I’m sorry.’

According to Rawlings’s Facebook page, he is a student at Nottingham University.


Exchange: The tweet prompted a flurry of support for Professor Beard - including an offer from one of her followers to pass on the address of her abuser's mother. Within minutes, Rawlings, tweeted her an apology

Last night there was no answer at his parents’ £1.2million gated home in Altrincham, Cheshire. A neighbour said he lived there with his parents and a younger brother and sister.

The neighbour said: ‘His mum and dad will go spare at him.’

Rawlings sent his original message while Professor Beard was discussing trolls on Jeremy Vine’s show on BBC Radio 2.

He also addressed Vine, saying: ‘What do you think @TheJeremyVine arrest me? I’m no idiot, I’m not sad Twitter is my voice. And I will say it to your face too.’

It was not the first time she has been targeted by online bullies. Earlier this year, after appearing on the BBC’s Question Time, one described a plan to rape her while others made crude comments on her looks.

Professor Beard also congratulated Caroline Criado-Perez for standing up to trolls, saying: ‘We’ve shut up and put up too damn long.’

'I have increasingly opted for name and shame. It has to be outed. And maybe his friends can say "stop"' - Mary Beard

TWITTER IN ABUSE BUTTON LAUNCH

Twitter last night said it had introduced a button for reporting abuse on its latest iPhone app.

If extended across other formats, the move will see users click the button if they think a post made by somebody was abusive.

This would then be determined by monitors employed by the website.

A spokesman for Twitter said: 'The ability to report individual tweets for abuse is currently available on Twitter for iPhone.

'We plan to bring this functionality to other platforms, including Android and the web.'

Any accounts found to be in breach of Twitter's rules will be suspended, the website said.

It currently provides an online form for complaints, which critics claim is insufficient.

ONLINE ABUSE: WHAT THE LAW IS

Internet trolls who post offensive messages on Twitter can be arrested under the Malicious Communications Act 1988.

Under the terms of this Act, it is an offence to send messages to another person that are indecent, grossly offensive, threatening or false.

Any such message could be considered an offence if it causes distress or anxiety to the recipient.

The Act covers letters, telecommunications or any form of electronic communication. This includes messages posted on Twitter.

There is no requirement for the message to necessarily reach the recipient – it must merely have been sent, delivered or transmitted.

The Act was used to arrest the man accused of targeting Caroline Criado-Perez.

Those found guilty of sending malicious communications could face a maximum of six months in jail or a £5,000 fine.

The legislation became a hot issue last year after a semi-professional footballer posted a homophobic tweet about Olympic diver Tom Daley.

However, Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the comments were not so ‘grossly offensive’ that they should lead to a court prosecution.

THE £7BILLION INTERNET GIANT WHICH HAS BEEN MADE RICH BY ADVERTS

With an estimated market value of more than £7billion, Twitter has quickly become a corporate giant.

The social networking service, which was set up in 2006, is able to rake in millions of pounds from advertising while being free to users.

Companies pay for promotional tweets that go to Twitter’s 200million subscribers.

They can also pay to have a topic of their choice – such as a new film title or event – listed among popular themes of the day.

It was reported in 2011 that Twitter was charging more than £80,000 a day for this service – a figure that will have increased dramatically as user numbers have surged.

In the final nine months of 2012, the total signed up rose by 40 per cent.

Because it is not listed on any stock market, the company does not have to release financial results.

But analysts estimate that its sales last year hit £170million – and will rise to a staggering £500million during 2014.

Because of its relatively low costs the firm is also said to be profitable – although few people know exactly how much it is making.

The group is working toward a listing on the stock market, when it is believed it will be worth £7.1billion.