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fredr123 · 05-06-2008, 11:06 AM

http://winnipegsun.com/News/Manitoba...71331-sun.html

The suspect -- who can't be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act -- will appear in court June 24 to face a charge of personation after allegedly posing as a school teacher on Facebook, a social networking website.

David Deutscher, a criminal law professor at the U of M, said a personation charge is laid only when it's alleged that the suspect intended to gain something by pretending to be someone else, or to cause some disadvantage to the other person.

"The context of advantage or disadvantage really hasn't been very well-defined in those kinds of situations. It's pretty broad," Deutscher said.

Simply pretending to be someone else for fun is not a crime, said MacFarlane, a former provincial deputy justice minister.

"If I was to go out and proclaim I am you, that's not an offence," he told a reporter.

"If I'm trying to seek something, that's when it's converted into a criminal offence. It would be interesting to see what the advantage was here."

An adult convicted of personation could spend up to 10 years in prison.

05-06-2008, 11:06 AM	#1
fredr123 Franchise Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Exp:	Teenager Charged for Pretending to be a Teacher on Facebook http://winnipegsun.com/News/Manitoba...71331-sun.html The suspect -- who can't be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act -- will appear in court June 24 to face a charge of personation after allegedly posing as a school teacher on Facebook, a social networking website. David Deutscher, a criminal law professor at the U of M, said a personation charge is laid only when it's alleged that the suspect intended to gain something by pretending to be someone else, or to cause some disadvantage to the other person. "The context of advantage or disadvantage really hasn't been very well-defined in those kinds of situations. It's pretty broad," Deutscher said. Simply pretending to be someone else for fun is not a crime, said MacFarlane, a former provincial deputy justice minister. "If I was to go out and proclaim I am you, that's not an offence," he told a reporter. "If I'm trying to seek something, that's when it's converted into a criminal offence. It would be interesting to see what the advantage was here." An adult convicted of personation could spend up to 10 years in prison.