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|NEXT STORY »

BIG BROTHER

Cops Use Facebook to Bust Underage Drinkers

Phony 'friend' gains access to drinking photos

By Nick McMaster| Posted Nov 19, 09 6:19 PM CST|

(Newser) – Wisconsin college student Adam Bauer should represent a cautionary tale for Facebook users under 21, or otherwise on the wrong side of the law: be careful what you post, and whom you friend. Shortly after accepting a request from an unfamiliar, “good-looking girl,” Bauer was invited to the local police station—where a cop laid out pictures of him and friends enjoying beers, and charged him with underage drinking.

“I just can’t believe it. I feel like I’m in a science-fiction movie, like they are always watching. When does it end?” Bauer told the LaCrosse Tribune. Added another student busted for boozy photos someone else posted: “I feel like it is a breach of privacy. You feel like you should be able to trust cops.”

Adam Bauer's profile picture. (Facebook)

The Facebook logo is displayed at a news conference in New York in this November 6, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, file)

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37 comments

VIEWING:

Dr.Lecter
Nov 19, 09 6:23 PM CST

What this is, is simply one more way (CCTV) for police to sit on their asses and let technology do the work for them. I don't see how it would hold up in court though. Hopefully these guys are smart enough to plead "not guilty!", and request that the "alcohol" in their cups or bottles be tested to prove that they actually contained alcohol. Reply

+12

IN RESPONSE:

krymsonkyng
Nov 19, 09 6:32 PM CST

So trust is a one way street for you?

-7

IN RESPONSE:

KennyBoy
Nov 19, 09 7:21 PM CST

@kyng Are you saying we should trust the cops? There's a reason that they have to tell you you have the right to remain silent.

IN RESPONSE:

krymsonkyng
Nov 19, 09 7:32 PM CST

That reason is to keep the cops honest. I would like to trust cops, but underhanded tactics met with lies make me wonder about both sides of the issue. I mean, cops are supposed to keep an eye out for the law, even on the internet. Stings are underhanded, to be sure, but so is lying in court. Call me naive, but I still think posting evidence against you on a public forum is pretty stupid.

IN RESPONSE:

GergNanohs
Nov 19, 09 9:43 PM CST

Yes, there is a one-way street here. You're innocent until proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. There is obvious a shadow of doubt possible for the cups not actually having beer in them. The kids need not say anything. ................ OTOH, employers and such are not bound by such strict safeguards. Facebook is dangerous, especially when you use it under your real name. Who thinks it is reasonable that any of your friends can see a list of all your other friends, and all their friends? That is how facebook sells itself, but it is not good for the users. Try two accounts, and use your real name as a gateway to shuffle people you know into anonymous accounts. Keep your real name off photos of you. If police and people are going to treat facebook users as criminals and miscreants, you have to respond ad protect yourself.

IN RESPONSE:

DontLikeYou
Nov 20, 09 9:37 AM CST

Kind a makes me dislike cops when they do crap like this. It sure doesn't make me feel any safer. Serve and Protect? Yeah, right.

| 0 minutes ago

circuitries
Nov 19, 09 6:33 PM CST

They aren't holding beer cans, at least in the picture shown-- they're holding solo cups. I drink water from the cooler out of a solo cup when I forget to bring my water bottle to work. Am I going to get in trouble should I post a photo of this on facebook? Reply

IN RESPONSE:

cyclops
Nov 19, 09 6:38 PM CST

WTF is a solo cup? I must have missed something.

IN RESPONSE:

MedicOni
Nov 19, 09 6:45 PM CST

those red cups that seem to always show up when kids drink

IN RESPONSE:

plstyle
Nov 19, 09 6:46 PM CST

@ cyclops- if you don't know what a solo cup is then i'm sure you did, but look at the bright side, you also saved alot of brain cells..

IN RESPONSE:

cyclops
Nov 19, 09 6:53 PM CST

Just asking.

IN RESPONSE:

kyleleitch
Nov 19, 09 9:47 PM CST

@MedicOni, true, but they are not evidence that a person was drinking. These kids aren't in trouble for having red cups, but for what was in them, and the police have to prove that it was alcohol first before they can do this; which wouldn't be easy anyway since there are plenty of drinks that look like beer.

IN RESPONSE:

GeminiMishy
Nov 20, 09 10:58 AM CST

I think MedicOni was replying to cyclops, kyle. But I was wondering the same thing. How on earth can they really prove what was in the cups? I'm sure there were the stupid, OMG so wasted broz!!!1! captions under the pics, but all they have to do is direct them to their half a dozen 'shopped pics of being in Cancun and benching 300 lbs, and the reliability of their posts are shot.

IN RESPONSE:

cyclone0000
Nov 20, 09 2:03 PM CST

Probably there were other, more incriminating, pictures posted. No they shouldn't be drinking, it's true and when one of them wraps their car around a pole, or another car, or a person, there will be cries for more police protection from underage drinkers. But, it sure seems like there's more pressing police business to attend to.

| 0 minutes ago

A.Carpenter
Nov 19, 09 6:54 PM CST

Come on. If they don't catch them in the act, then it shouldn't count. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Beev0
Nov 20, 09 2:38 PM CST

How far does this logic go? If someone assaults your sister or friend are you just gonna punch your knee and say "Oh well, we didn't catch him in the act. Buck up, and move on."

| 0 minutes ago

SkepticallyInclined
Nov 19, 09 7:05 PM CST

No harm in instilling a little fear in underage drinkers. Don't book them just let them know that they 'could' be booked. Reply

-1

IN RESPONSE:

WallyEFunk
Nov 23, 09 1:07 AM CST

Can't prove, what they drank ,but might stop under age PPL ,from over drink, just to show off on youtube..

| 0 minutes ago

objectivemind
Nov 19, 09 7:08 PM CST

law enforcement has been trolling thru facebook myspace, etc for some time. it is not just some local cops with this story...it has been rampant for some time. too much on the grid for me...I dont use it. this is nothing new. the jump from user to user, and build a case...drugs, etc. good point on what is in the cups...sort of hard to prove I would think. but for other stuff, maybe not. and good point that if someone else posts a picture of you...etc...well..you are the one in trouble..not necessarily the person who posted your pix doing whatever. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

e3k
Nov 19, 09 7:09 PM CST

"I was very thirsty, and the only container I could find for my water was an empty beer bottle" Can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt otherwise Reply

IN RESPONSE:

krymsonkyng
Nov 19, 09 7:26 PM CST

dishonest but effective. Not a bad defense.

IN RESPONSE:

GreekChorus
Nov 19, 09 8:32 PM CST

There's nothing wrong with being dishonest in response to a threat.

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Beev0
Nov 20, 09 2:41 PM CST

is being called out on something you are openly doing, which is blatantly illegal in this country, a 'threat.'

| 0 minutes ago

easterner
Nov 19, 09 7:14 PM CST

“good-looking girl,” Yup blame the hottie. "randomly " ya right. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

JoeQ
Nov 19, 09 7:15 PM CST

Somebody should set up a reverse sting. Post a page with apparently clear evidence of underage drinking. Then when they get busted, produce ample evidence to the contrary and bankrupt the cop's department. It could be lucrative. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

dagerm89
Nov 20, 09 12:18 PM CST

There's a video online where a bunch of kids throw a root beer kegger and play loud music and pong. They quickly get busted by the cops who, once realizing what they are drinking, sheepishly leave the house.

| 0 minutes ago

Reader63782555
Nov 19, 09 7:22 PM CST

ha maybe they'll have enough popularity to get laid now. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

snakeandbake
Nov 19, 09 7:38 PM CST

I'll fill in for dontlikeyou: Just something else gone wrong under the Obama administration. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Rembrandt_Q_Einstein
Nov 19, 09 9:18 PM CST

"...You feel like you should be able to trust cops." -- LOL! What a dumbass, trusting cops. HA! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

lonewolf17
Nov 19, 09 11:39 PM CST

This article should have been named "cops waste valuable time, energy and manpower on pointless arrests" Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Reader83547840
Nov 20, 09 12:31 PM CST

It's quite possible the cops violated the Facebook terms of service: "You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission." And yes, there could be anything in those plastic cups. Water, Dr. Pepper, root beer, or yes, maybe even the other kind of beer. I like the idea of the "empty beer bottle refilled with water" defense, too. If this happens to anyone out there: please plead "not guilty" and take it to a jury trial. Make them prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. (They can't.) Also, unless your attorney specifically advises you to, DO NOT take the stand in your own defense. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

diltsduo
Nov 20, 09 12:32 PM CST

you're doing something illegal and you're posting it on the Internet. You accepted the request from an unknown person....how is that breach of privacy? Reply

IN RESPONSE:

BleeBloo
Nov 20, 09 2:33 PM CST

Exactly! You're responsible for your OWN privacy. Don't like it? Untag yourself from photos. And seriously, drink you beer from a glass, it tastes awful in the bottle. I'm just going to pretend that people don't drink beer from cans (with the exception of Oskar Blues and 21st Amendment) at all.

-1

| 0 minutes ago

Beev0
Nov 20, 09 2:34 PM CST

I haven't read all the comments but here is my take: One - play it safe(ish) and wait till your of age to drink. Two - of age or not, there are going to be consequences to your actions. Three - The internet is public, kinda like a street corner, so maybe keep you $#it on the down low if that is where it belongs. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

BleeBloo
Nov 20, 09 5:48 PM CST

But it's, like, my constitutional RIGHT to put trashy pictures of myself making the duck lips and holding a bud on myspace!

-1

| 0 minutes ago

yummines
Nov 21, 09 5:20 PM CST

i dunno about the whole privacy thing. personal email is private, any third party is not allowed to access that. but when you put things up for public on sites like Myspace and Facebook, its completely public. Don't post a picture of yourself doing crack on Facebook and then complain when cops show up at your door later... Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Reader83548078
Nov 23, 09 3:28 PM CST

You break the law (i don't agree with the law), You post evidence of yourself breaking the law, then you get invited to the local county jail by a "hotgirl" that you don't know. This isn't a science fiction story, your just a dumbfuck. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 37 comments »

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Cops Use Facebook to Bust Underage Drinkers

Phony 'friend' gains access to drinking photos

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