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Computer communications bring charges on student

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By Ryan Gauthier, Staff Writer 7:36 PM Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A Miami University student faces two felonies and four misdemeanors for allegedly using an alias to confuse and panic a fellow student and his own mother.

Police said the 22-year-old student started communicating with a female friend using a fictitious Facebook profile in early September. The victim told officers she started instant messaging with the impostor, but felt uncomfortable when the conversation became sexual in nature. She reportedly ended the conversation with the stranger and forwarded them to a friend, who police eventually learned were the same person.

“This was the result of good detective work,” Sgt. Jim Squance said. “They did a check on the hard drive, then tracked him down using forensic evidence found on the computer.”

The student reportedly created a fake Facebook profile and tried to bait the victim into a sexual encounter with a stranger, in an attempt to test her faithfulness. Somewhere along the line he started sending his own mother messages using the pseudonym, threatening harm to her son.

He later changed the wallpaper on his friend’s computer, using a paint application to write a message that some harm would come to the female’s friend. Police report he also put a Post-It note on the porch wall of her residence containing derogatory comments.

Oxford police arrested Mike Fletcher, 355 Teakwood Lane, Springboro, after determining he had been behind the series of threats and cryptic messages. Fletcher was charged with unauthorized use of a computer, taking on a false identity, telephone harassment, inducing panic, aggravated menacing and criminal mischief.

Contact this reporter at (513) 523-4139, ext. 86102, or at rgauthier@coxohio.com.

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