Spurs announcer accused of online harassment

By Eva Ruth Moravec - Express-News
Web Posted: 09/02/2010 12:00 CDT



In a case that could lead to the first local prosecution under a year-old law against online harassment, a San Antonio sports promoter is accused of using a fake Twitter account to badger a television reporter.

Mike Lavender, 36, has been charged with one count of online harassment-spoofing, an addition to the state's penal code that one legislator said is intended to protect people against anonymous online attackers.

Lavender has also worked as an announcer at Spurs, Rampage and Missions games. He was charged Friday and was released Saturday from Bexar County Jail after posting $3,500 bail.

Police said Lavender used a Twitter account, “@SkanksInSA411,” in June to harass the 33-year-old reporter, claiming she was in a relationship with a married man.

Because of the sensitivity of the allegations, the San Antonio Express-News is not identifying the reporter.

An arrest warrant affidavit states that an SAPD detective secured a grand jury subpoena and a court order to obtain the Twitter user's IP address, which connected the account to Lavender's home computer.

Police said Lavender admitted sending the messages from the social networking site.

Leo Gomez, vice president of public affairs for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, declined to comment on the criminal charge or Lavender's arrest.

When asked if he or others at the company were aware of the online comments, he chuckled, paused, and then said: “I'm not going to address that.”

Adriana Biggs, chief of the district attorney's white-collar-crimes division, said her office is investigating the case to determine whether it fits the criteria for House Bill 2003, which took effect last September and addresses online harassment.

From reading the article, since it wasn't charged, I think what he said wasn't libelous, so I would have to say this bothers me greatly. Under this law, it seems to me like if you post on a board bad mouthing a west Texas DPS cop by name for giving you a BS ticket, call Kobe a cry baby or a rapist, post that Sarah Palin is a bad mother for flying home to Alaska after going into labor with a special needs child, or say that Obama is a Muslim would be a 3rd Degree Felony in Texas.

Kick him out ASAP, we're known as a classy organization and I bet the players and staff respect that, online harassment is pathetic for a man his age, I'm disappointed.

You Tweet, you lose

From the tread title I figured he was caught posting at Spurstalk.

ryno wrote:From the tread title I figured he was caught posting at Spurstalk.