Bank Teller Sent To Jail For Posting Obscene Message On Net

[george]

Bank teller sent to jail for posting obscene message on net

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a bank worker to a year's suspended jail term and 12 hours of community service for tarnishing the reputation of a 29-year-old woman by posting an obscene message about her along with her phone number at the Sanook.com website.

After apologising to the victim before the verdict was read, 31-year-old Nawanit Noichana said he had no intention of tarnishing the reputation of this woman, whom he doesn't know, and promised never to do it again.

He also said he would give her Bt5,000 in compensation.

According to the lawsuit, on November 2, 2008, the defendant posted a message about the woman seeking sexual experiences along with her mobile phone number, without the victim's knowledge or consent.

The victim told the court that she learned about the message from her friends and immediately filed a police complaint. The message had been running on the website for three hours before Nawanit was identified as the wrongdoer.

Later, the victim said she had forgiven him and asked him not to do it again.

The court found the defendant guilty of filing false information on cyberspace that caused damage to another person or the public, which is punishable to six months in jail and Bt5,000 in fine.

Since his confession was useful, the court cut the sentence by half and, since this was his first offence and because he had apologised to the victim, the court eventually sentenced him to a year's suspended jail term and 12 hours of community service.

-- The Nation 2009-08-10

[TAWP]

In a way, if the law is applied correctly, I support it.

Freedom under responsibility

[Lost_in_Los]

Interesting result. Bt5,000 in compensation is a lot for a Thai. Couple that with the loss of face from being named and shamed not just here but probably in the Thai language papers and sounds like a pretty fair sentence given this jokers actions.

Who said the Thai legal system is broken?

[animatic]

A Somchai scorned is a bad enemy,

but not as bad as a woman wronged.

Seems a good decision.

[noahvail]

Quote/ The court found the defendant guilty of filing false information on cyberspace that caused damage to another person or the public, which is punishable to six months in jail and Bt5,000 in fine.

Since his confession was useful, the court cut the sentence by half and, since this was his first offence and because he had apologised to the victim, the court eventually sentenced him to a year's suspended jail term and 12 hours of community service. /Quote

Very interesting indeed. "Punishable to six months in jail..." "...the court cut the sentence by half..." "...the court eventually sentenced him to a year's suspended jail term..." If the sentence at its worst could be six months in jail (and a fine) and the court cut the sentence in half, then wouldn't it be something like three month's suspended jail term?

Have my eyes gone bad, or is that The Nation reporting? Either way, I'm feeling just a wee bit confused.

[andyc2006]

I've heard the Thai justice system is extremely slow.

If so, how'd such an insignificant case get through the courts so quickly?

Also, yet another misleading TV headline blasted out to everybody -- the bank teller wasn't sent to jail, the sentence was suspended, meaning no jail time.

Edited August 10, 2009 by ajc1970

[TAWP]

It was jail, but it was suspended. So if he do anything, he goes into the slammer.

Added: But for how long, that is the question... I would assume it would be for 3 months, but that his liability to receive it is one year.

Edited August 10, 2009 by TAWP

[mc2]

i wonder what he wrote about her that was so offensive

[RKASA]

"this woman, whom he doesn't know,"

The part I don't get is, WHY! Said he didn't even know her, whats the point of doing this in the first place. Some kind of anger release, problem with women, or a hidden problem with women being in the work place. Should have been a counseling session in the sentencing.

[joeyswags]

According to the lawsuit, on November 2, 2008...blah blah blah

That is a long time ago...how much time did her serve? What exactly does "suspended sentence" mean? Is it time already served...so they suspend the punishment?

[ukrules]

"this woman, whom he doesn't know,"

The part I don't get is, WHY! Said he didn't even know her, whats the point of doing this in the first place. Some kind of anger release, problem with women, or a hidden problem with women being in the work place. Should have been a counseling session in the sentencing.

I don't understand this part either, something is not being reported here or someone is lying, it doesn't add up.

[RKASA]

<br />According to the lawsuit, on November 2, 2008...blah blah blah<br /><br /><br />That is a long time ago...how much time did her serve? What exactly does "suspended sentence" mean? Is it time already served...so they suspend the punishment?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Suspended normally means you don't have to go into the jail but the clock is ticking as if you were there, and if you get in trouble any trouble they can send you to do the remaining time and often do. He is out on probation from day one.

[dale8]

Hello, this psychopath needs help and possibly medication as we do not need this abuse in our society. We do not know if this was the only time he has done this or something worse and not been caught. He needs supervision and better guidance to know what is expected and what not to do. I hope this will be a warning for him so he will not try anything abusive again, but no one will be watching him so he might get better at it so he will not get caught as easy.

[astral]

Why was the guy's job brought into the story?

Was he posting from the Bank?

Was the Bank responsible?

Irrelevant reporting tarnishes all bank tellers.

[MyphuketLife]

"this woman, whom he doesn't know,"

The part I don't get is, WHY! Said he didn't even know her, whats the point of doing this in the first place. Some kind of anger release, problem with women, or a hidden problem with women being in the work place. Should have been a counseling session in the sentencing.

I don't understand this part either, something is not being reported here or someone is lying, it doesn't add up.

it's very likely he did not know the victim. It happens all the time its called a PRANK. People do it all the time in the US, throw up a random number and laugh knowing they caused some one, some where allot of stress.

[Heng]

Yeah, I've heard that people lie.

Sometimes even under oath!

[Briggsy]

Interesting result. Bt5,000 in compensation is a lot for a Thai. Couple that with the loss of face from being named and shamed not just here but probably in the Thai language papers and sounds like a pretty fair sentence given this jokers actions.

Who said the Thai legal system is broken?

'Cos he ain't connected.

The Thai legal system works on the principle of "sakdina". Google it.

[scorecard]

Why was the guy's job brought into the story?

Was he posting from the Bank?

Was the Bank responsible?

Irrelevant reporting tarnishes all bank tellers.

Rightly or wrongly peoples occcupation is commonly quoted, basically in all newspapers world wide.

Apart from the punishment of the court I wonder what other 'punishment' he has brought upon himself:

- Perhaps dismissal.

- Branch managers of many Thai banks are now under strong pressure to produce business results. Having this guy on staff would be a negative for the branch, perhaps the branch manager would be trying to get him moved.

- Quite possibly the co-workers at this branch would be giving this guy a miss in terms of communication, collaboration, social activities.