A costly joke

AN Innisfail schoolboy could face criminal charges after he allegedly posted a picture of himself wielding a large gun with the words “Allahu akbar” on social media in an apparent joke between friends.

The incident is understood to have prompted a large police response involving the Special Emergency Response Team, senior officers and detectives from both Cairns and Innisfail.

Officers arrested the 17-year-old at his high school, and he was being questioned by police last night.

Not really funny now, is it? In today's climate of nervousness around the threat of terrorism, this sort of post is no joke. People have been questioned and prosecuted for less. It's also a timely reminder about the use of social media; one the best evidentiary tools ever invented for solicitors.