British internet troll who threatened to murder 200 US schoolchildren in Facebook message sent from his home in South Shields is jailed for two years

Reece Elliott left abusive comments on tribute pages to two US teenagers

When challenged he sent more nasty message to pupils in Tennessee

He sparked a security crackdown by threatening to shoot 200 children

Has now been jailed for more than two years at Newcastle Crown Court



Internet troll: Reece Elliott has been jailed for more than two years after admitting making threats to kill and eight Communications Act offences

An internet troll whose 'grossly offensive' Facebook postings included threats to kill 200 US children has been jailed for more than two years after a judge heard how he spread terror in local schools.



Reece Elliott, 24, left abusive comments on tribute pages set up for two teenagers who died in car accidents.

But when he was challenged he sent more nasty messages directly to pupils living in Warren County, Tennessee, in February.



After a deputy sheriff contacted him to say he would shut the page down, curly-haired Elliott sparked a security crackdown at local schools by threatening to shoot 200 children.



With sensitivities heightened in the US following the Newtown shooting which saw 20 children and six adults killed in an elementary school, hundreds saw Elliott's message and almost 3,000 pupils missed classes the next day, Newcastle Crown Court heard.



Tennessee police began investigating, along with the FBI and Homeland Security.



Elliott, from South Shields, South Tyneside, contacted his solicitor and walked into his local police station to admit what he had done when he realised the outcry he had caused.



At a previous hearing he admitted one count of making threats to kill and eight Communications Act offences.



Prosecutor Bridie Smurthwaite said Elliott left 'grossly offensive' messages to two tribute sites.



On one for a teenage girl killed by a drink driver, he wrote: 'F****** fat c*** deserves to die.'



And on another for a teenager who died in a car crash, he said: 'Hip, hip, horray, he is dead motherf******. Huge brain injuries. Stupid motherf****** b****. I hope you rot in hell.'



When Elliott's fake Facebook profile received a friend request from a local deputy sheriff, the officer was branded a 'paedo'.

Outcry: Elliott (left) contacted his solicitor and walked into his local police station to admit what he had done when he realised the outcry he had caused. Pictured (right) is Elliott's home in South Shields (the door on the right)



After the lawman said he would shut down Elliott's page, the father-of-one went online again, with severe consequences for him.



He wrote on the teenage girl's tribute page: 'My father has three guns. I'm planning on killing him first and putting his body in the dumpster.



'Then I'm taking the motor and I'm going in fast.

'I'm gonna kill hopefully at least 200 before I kill myself. So you want to tell the deputy, I'm on my way.'



Because it was posted on the site's public wall, many hundreds of people probably saw it, the court heard.

School officials were swamped with calls and texts from concerned staff, parents and pupils so security was stepped up, with only restricted access to sites.

Threats: Elliott sparked a security crackdown at local schools by threatening to shoot 200 children

Nevertheless, 2,908 out of 6,654 pupils, or 44 per cent of the register, missed classes at schools in the county the next day.



One girl, now 16 and whose identity cannot be reported, received a private message from Elliott which said: 'You have been chosen tomorrow at school to receive one of my bullets.'



She replied: 'Screw off dude.'



'During the first week in February this year, with what seems to be no more than self-indulgent nastiness, you posted a series of grossly offensive comments on Facebook'

- Judge James Goss QC



Elliott said: 'The doctors will have to unscrew the bullet from your skull b****.'



The girl then offered to pray for her abuser, saying: 'Wow, you need serious help.'



She told police afterwards: 'I think it should be taken very seriously, even though he was miles and miles away in another country, I was still scared and I didn't want to come to school even after they caught him.'



After his arrest, Elliott said he was an internet troll, the purpose of which was to provoke arguments and reaction.



Miss Smurthwaite said he told officers 'it was a massive mistake'.



Elliott has 17 convictions for 28 offences, including at the age of 16 an attempted robbery on a bookmakers when he was armed with an axe, and a racially aggravated public order offence in a pizza shop.



John Wilkinson, defending said Elliott was described by a psychiatrist as emotionally immature and impulsive.

Hearing: Newcastle Crown Court heard how after his arrest Elliott said he was an internet troll, the purpose of which was to provoke arguments and reaction

'As he says himself "It's time I finally grew up and started to act like an adult",' Mr Wilkinson told the court.



Mr Wilkinson said Elliott could not explain his behaviour, which the defendant said was 'idiotic, childish and pathetic'.



Elliott bowed his head and wept as Judge James Goss QC, the Recorder of Newcastle, passed a two years and four month sentence.



'Investigating reports of criminal behaviour on social network sites has its challenges but we have staff who are trained in navigating these systems and identifying who the offenders are'

- Detective Chief Inspector Ged Noble

He told Elliott: 'During the first week in February this year, with what seems to be no more than self-indulgent nastiness, you posted a series of grossly offensive comments on Facebook.'



Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Ged Noble, who led the investigation, said officers were about to arrest Elliott when he walked into the police station.



The FBI contacted colleagues in England after discovering that the threats were coming from the North East.



He said: 'Police officers were about to go to the identified address when we were notified by a local solicitor that Reece Elliott wanted to hand himself in.'



Mr Noble continued: 'Investigating reports of criminal behaviour on social network sites has its challenges but we have staff who are trained in navigating these systems and identifying who the offenders are.



'New guidelines on dealing with people who post offensive messages using social media have been released by the Director of Public Prosecutions and we will continue to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to take action against those who cross the line from their right to free speech to committing criminal offences.'