"St. Louis, MO — What many teenagers these days are considering a harmless prank has landed one online gamer in more trouble than he could have ever imagined. In a Missouri courtroom today, 15-year-old Paul Horner, known online as GOBBLINKINGGREATLEADER, broke down in tears after a judge found the young man guilty on two counts of domestic shitposting and disturbing the peace, and he was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in federal prison.
Horner is the first person in history to be charged with what is known as ‘shitposting‘, a growing trend in which a person anonymously cyberbullies an internet community, such as a particular forum or webpage, in hopes of provoking the players to negative responses. Prosecutors in the case proved that Horner called in multiple false insults against rival online gamers, such as calling them "spunk butler" or "cheesedick" resulting in a disturbance of the peace for the online gaming community we are told is referred to as "cRPG" or "cerpiga" by its members. Most members of this online community were eager to comment, with one particularly upset gamer saying "I'm very happy that he got banned from IRL, he was a fucking cheesedick."
The practice of “shitposting” was recently brought to national attention by the YouTube video: "fuck you all, fedoras own hard" located here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfOuJ93sIog. Law Enforcement agencies say that the practice, which has been occurring with increasing frequency since 2013, wastes valuable resources and places innocent people in harm’s way. The 2014 incident, which resulted in the charges against Horner, are a prime example of this.
Defense lawyers told the courtroom that Horner, who goes by the gamertag GOBBLINKINGGREATLEADER, was upset after being repeatedly beaten by a fellow gamer at cRPG. After obtaining the rival gamers information, prosecutors say Horner called the other gamer a "cock crazed cheesedick who probably doesnt even use a mechanical keyboard u fucking shithole". Following an investigation of the incident, Horner was charged as an adult, using provisions of the 2001 Patriot Act. Horner’s guilty charge stems from two counts of domestic shitposting, and one count of disturbing the peace.
During closing arguments, prosecuting attorney Jack Phillips explained the state’s assessment of Horner to the jury.
“Horner’s actions are pure evil, he is a menace to society and must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Horner, described as affecting a brash, “hardcore” persona while online was anything but throughout the trial. At multiple times Horner broke down into fits of sobbing hysteria and calls to his mother, to the point that the presiding Judge, Arthur Digsby, was forced to have him removed. Hearing the sentence of 25 years to life, Horner began sobbing. Judge Digsby told Horner that though he felt bad for the youth, he was ultimately responsible for his own actions.
“Ignorance of consequence because of lack of thought absolves no one”, the Judge told Horner. “Thinking that your actions were only a prank did not make them only a prank.”
Judge Digsby finished his sentencing as he went on to admonish anyone who would try to emulate such idiocy.
“Leave your petty pride in the realm of digital fantasy where it is still safe,” Digsby said. “Because, as young mister Horner has learned, actions in the real world don’t have a reset button. And every parent should make sure their children understand that.”"
if you weren't coy enough to get it, its all a ruse