Mom Hacks Facebook, Son Files Harassment Charges

Arkansas teenager says mother went too far
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 7, 2010 2:20 PM CDT
Mom Hacks Facebook, Son Files Harassment Charges
In this July 16, 2009, file photo, a Facebook user edits privacy settings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick, File)

An Arkansas teen has filed harassment charges against his mother, alleging that she hacked into his Facebook account, changed his password, and posted slanderous things on his wall. The 16-year-old, who lives with his grandmother, has also requested a no-contact order. The mom, Denise New of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, is outraged. “You’re within your legal rights to monitor your child,” she told KATV 7, “It’s crazy to me that we’re even having this interview.”

The prosecutor wouldn’t comment, other than to cite Arkansas’ harassment law, which forbids a person to “repeatedly commit acts that alarm or seriously annoy another person” without good cause. New, of course, thinks she has good cause—she read on her son’s page that he’d been driving 95mph because he was upset with a girl. She says she’ll fight the lawsuit. “Oh yeah…I’m not gonna let this rest. This could be a precedent-setting moment for parents.” (By the way, Newser promises to never harass you on Facebook if you friend us.)

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