Tristan Ambrose, 32, received a jail sentence for hateful online comments aimed at multiple groups.
Tristan Ambrose, 32, got arrested by the police. He sent threatening messages from June 2023 to July 2024. This case might be one of the first using the new Online Safety Act.
The probe started because of YouTube comments. People reported the comments to the US authorities. Ambrose targeted women, Muslims, and the LGBTQ+ community.
US officials shared info with UK’s National Crime Agency via Interpol. The NCA told Essex Police detectives. Ambrose posted many comments on YouTube before his arrest. His posts threatened serious harm.
They appeared with videos seen by many people. Essex Police stated one video had over 400,000 views.
Ambrose said he was “rage baiting” when police questioned him. He claimed he wanted to make people feel bad. Ambrose admitted he upset people with his words and added he was a “coward”.
They charged him with threats of death or harm. He also faced charges for a threatening message and possessed a Class B drug. He admitted guilt for everything in court.
The court sentenced him Wednesday. He got four months for each communication offense. These sentences will run one after another. There was no penalty for the drug, but he must pay court costs too.
Detective Inspector Karen Knibbs spoke about the case. She said they worked with US and NCA colleagues and spoke about bringing him to court because his messages were against the law.
Knibbs noted the messages aimed to cause anguish. She affirmed the internet cannot hide someone from justice. Police will not tolerate hateful speech, and they will hold people responsible for online actions. Report abuse seen online, she urged.