Sex offender may not face LinkedIn charge
Published: Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 1:15 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, February 20, 2015 at 10:47 p.m.
Matherne, 34, of 507 Louise St., was arrested twice last week on charges of wearing a mask during last years Mardi Gras parades and using LinkedIn, a business networking site for professionals.
Terrebonne First Assistant District Attorney Carlos Lazarus said there was some question about the second charge, since LinkedIn is primarily for professionals who want to maintain their contacts and network with other professionals.
State law prohibits offenders from using social networking websites that allow users to create publicly available Web pages or profiles and offer a mechanism for communication with others.
This excludes websites that involve photo-sharing, electronic mail, instant messaging, commercial transactions, news dissemination and government-related content.
(Matherne) was specifically told not to go on Facebook and Twitter where there might be exposure to kids, but not LinkedIn, Lazarus said. We may have to investigate that further.
If the charge is found lacking, the District Attorneys Office would formally decline to prosecute Matherne, Lazarus said. His cash bond of $25,500 would also be reimbursed.
Proof of the initial arrests, however, would remain on Mathernes record.
The Terrebonne Sheriffs Office initially charged Matherne and a friend with aggravated rape of a 13-year old girl in 2002.
Matherne was 23 years old when he had to register as a Tier 1 sex offender, the lowest in a hierarchy ranking Tier 3 as the most severe.
See the rest here:
Sex offender may not face LinkedIn charge