Theater of the absurdSon files harassment charges against mother for Facebook posts

Published 8 April 2010

A 16-year old sues his mother for tampering with his Facebook account; he filed charges against her last month and requested a no contact order after he claims she posted slanderous entries about him on the social networking site; he alleges she hacked his account, changed his password, and posted things that involve slander about his personal life

An Arkadelphia, Arkansas, mother is charged with harassment for making entries on her son’s Facebook page. Denise New’s 16-year old son filed charges against her last month and requested a no contact order after he claims she posted slanderous entries about him on the social networking site. New says she was just trying to monitor what he was posting.

“You’re within your legal rights to monitor your child and to have a conversation with your child on Facebook whether it’s his account, or your account or whoever’s account. It’s crazy to me that we’re even having this interview,” she told KATV reporter.

New remains in shock after her son slapped her with the charge of harassment. In a document from the Clark County prosecutor, he alleges she hacked his account, changed his password, and posted things that involve slander about his personal life.

The mother said:

I read things on his Facebook about how he had gone to Hot Springs one night and was driving 95 m.p.h. home because he was upset with a girl and it was his friend that called me and told me about all this that prompted me to even actually start really going through his Facebook to see what was going on.

Prosecutor Todd Turner would not comment on the specifics because of the son’s age, but he did cite Arkansas’ harassment law. “A person commits the offense if with purpose to harass, annoy or alarm another person without good cause, he engages in conduct or repeatedly commits acts that alarm or seriously annoy another person.”

The mother responded: “Oh yeah, I’m going to fight it. If I have to go even higher up, I’m going to. I’m not gonna let this rest. I think this could be a precedent-setting moment for parents.”

New’s son lives with his grandmother who has custodial rights, but New maintains she had had a great relationship with him despite their living arrangements.

Her next court date is 12 May.