With Senior Constable Tim Jessup, Beerwah Police Station
The advent of mobile phones and social media has, if nothing else, inspired many debates as to whether they are an overall positive or negative for society. As useful as they can be, they are now also unfortunately another platform which can be abused and used to commit offences.
Judging by an apparent increase in complaints made to police about people receiving harassing, offensive, or threatening messages, many people either remain unaware that it is an offence to send messages of this nature, or perhaps they are unaware of the serious nature of the offence.
The legislation can be found under the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995 – Use of a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence. The maximum penalty is 3 years imprisonment; however, if threats are made to cause serious harm or to kill a person, the penalties increase to 7 and 10 years respectively.
If the volume or frequency of the messages becomes an aggravating factor, the charge of unlawful stalking can also be considered.
Using messaging or creating harmful posts on social media has also been adopted by the “smartphone generation” of school bullies. This is considered an example of using a carriage service, and parents should be speaking to their children about the ways in which they use their devices, to avoid an embarrassing visit to the police station.
Improper use of emergency call services is another offence in the same vein. This covers prank or hoax calls to Triple-Zero and also carries a maximum penalty of 3 years imprisonment.
Let’s be kind to each other and enjoy these advancements in technology for their benefits and their ability to bring each other together and create communities.