Teen spends months in jail for sarcastic threat in RuneScape

James · Jul 10, 2013

I might be late to the party, but yeah... here it is.

Just days after multiple news outlets reported the story of a Texas teen jailed for making a sarcastic threat online, a Mississippi mother facing a nearly identical situation gave an exclusive interview to The Daily Caller News Foundation about her son’s lengthy incarceration.

Josh Pillault was arrested last October for threatening to kill people and destroy buildings. At the time of his arrest, he was 19-years-old, and an avid video game player.

The threats were made while he was playing “Runescape,” an online multiplayer fantasy game. Another player began antagonizing him, and eventually told him to kill himself.

Irritated, Pillault said he would kill not just himself, but also take out the local high school. He also mentioned Columbine — the name of an infamous school shooting — according to reports.

It was the response that the other player had been hoping for, according to Pillault’s mother.

“His gleeful last words to Josh were ‘Knock, knock!’ which is a reference to the feds he sent our way,” wrote Stacey Pillault in an email to TheDC News Foundation.

Federal authorities raided the Pillault home a few days later, arresting Josh. He has been in jail ever since.

His lawyer argued that the threat was “idle or careless talk, exaggeration or something said in a joking manner.”

Josh possessed none of the materials he would need to carry out such an attack, nor was there any good reason to believe he was serious, said his mother.

“His doctors have said he wouldn’t hurt himself or anyone else,” she wrote. “We actually have teachers who were willing to testify that they knew it wasn’t a true threat as soon as they found out it was Josh. Even his fellow inmates and guards have commented on how they can’t believe he is still in there.”

Josh turned 20 in December — behind bars. As of next week, his incarceration will have lasted 9 months.

“Instead of being home with his family, he spent his birthday and the holidays behind bars,” wrote his mother. “We all worry about him constantly. I barely sleep anymore because I am worried about him.”

Josh was adamant about maintaining his innocence, but the family eventually decided that the odds of a conviction were simply too high. On June 20, Josh plead guilty, hoping for a lighter sentence. He is now awaiting transfer to a federal prison, where medical experts will evaluate his mental condition. Sentencing should take place a few months from now. Josh could get 10 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.

The Pillault case mirrors the case of 19-year-old Justin Carter, who has been in jail since February due to threats he made over the Internet after playing an online game. When another player called Carter insane, he made a sarcastic comment that he was crazy enough to attack a school. Immediately afterward, he wrote that he was just kidding.

Still, a Canadian woman saw the threat online, and reported it to Texas authorities, who arrested Carter for make threats of a terrorist nature. He has been in jail ever since, and faces an eight-year sentence. Like Josh, Justin celebrated his birthday in jail.

The arrests raise questions about balancing safety and sensibility. Authorities in the Carter case mentioned the recent shooting in Newtown, Conn. — where two dozen people were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary — as one reason to be extra vigilant when threats are made.

http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/02/s...-in-jail-for-video-game-threat/#ixzz2YeU6l1wc
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Add My Msn · Jul 10, 2013

Lol, in this case, 80% of the league of legends community should be in jail. Just sad.

R · Jul 10, 2013

Bit like this: http://www.sythe.org/video-clips/1596130-lol-player-jailed-8-years-sarcasm.html

Crazy, people take shit too seriously. There are actual criminals out there.

PartyPeteShop · Jul 10, 2013

Add My Msn said: ↑

Lol, in this case, 80% of the league of legends community should be in jail. Just sad.
Click to expand...

^^ This lmao!

Delta Squad · Jul 10, 2013

read this on yahoo news awhile back after reading my email, rather funny how the feds can track someone joking on a game, but can't find real threats. such a shame.. also just shows you... they are watching... lurking.

Star · Jul 10, 2013

Wow that's intense.. 99% of Runescape players would be in jail by now, I know I would be in jail because I joke about this stuff all the time.. 9 months that's such rubbish poor kid.

woodcut ox · Jul 10, 2013

Don't you love when our tax dollars are spent watching frustrated gamers rage over online videogames?

A stated above they're just lurking, With that new internet bill they passed it gives them even more access over shit like this, have you seen those gigantic building just full of information they built?

Sooner or later they're going to arrest little 8 year old kids on Call of Duty for saying "I'm going to rape you". This all pathetic.

Tornstol · Jul 10, 2013

Lol this is kinda funny.

ThenoisyJaguar · Jul 10, 2013

Wow, great job internet police. You can arrest a kid for saying something on runescape. Way to go, you just stopped another terrorist! Watch out!! I think I just heard an eight year old threaten to slit my throat on halo. He may be linked to Al-Qaeda

Loner · Jul 10, 2013

It is sad the way the justice system works, but I also understand the flip side of it because crazy people are out there. You never know if someone is being serious or not. I do think that the sentence is way above what it should be though.

Swadq · Jul 10, 2013

Well it wouldn't be acceptable to say this in real life, so he shouldn't have said it online. It's definitely a case of holding double standards, but equally he is very stupid for doing this in the first place

BenNewsome · Jul 10, 2013

To be honest, this is crazy..

Shoop · Jul 10, 2013

So they have fucked his life up because he made a joke on RS?

There a rapists and shit out there and they arrest that kid? Stupid people make me so angry...

Loyal 2 da game · Jul 11, 2013

The guy is a fuckin idiot for joking about that kinda shit. He shouldnt be in jail but someone should have punched the dumb nigga in the face

Schoolboy Q · Jul 11, 2013

Its stupid... just like the situation with the kid who is goign to get jail time for a comment he made on league of legends

Jack · Jul 11, 2013

Shit like this makes me lose faith in humanity

Time To Buy · Jul 11, 2013

This is really stupid...he was joking yet he could face up to ten years in jail?? There are other people they could go after, but instead they go after these guys.

Monopolized · Jul 11, 2013

Now I feel scared to say anything online :/

Midweek · Jul 11, 2013

I this for real?:s Wow the should better put real criminals in jail..

TheFreakShow · Jul 13, 2013

Its a real shame that kid got jailed for 8 years. It's pretty much fucked his life up.

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Teen spends months in jail for sarcastic threat in RuneScape

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