Man charged with violating protective order through Facebook

When a protective order says “no contact” with the person filing an order, that means no contact — not even by “liking” the person’s Facebook photos or commenting on them. That’s the basis of a charge of violating a protective order against Lane T. Sanders, 27. Homer Police last week got an arrest warrant for Sanders after police said he contacted a woman he had been told to communicate with only through mail and through their attorneys.

In a criminal complaint, Homer Police Officer Larry Baxter said Sanders has a current protective order against him and that the woman said on Nov. 5 that Sanders had contacted her in violation of the order. The woman showed Baxter her Facebook page with a comment made Nov. 4 on a photo. The comment alleged to be from Sanders read in part, “I’m still in love … and everything after has been a fake attempt at running from horrible decisions that have affected everyone else around more.” Baxter wrote that the woman also said Sanders had “liked” other photos of her, including older photos, and she said that disturbed her because it meant he had spent time looking through her Facebook photos.

Facebook, the popular social media site, allows people to post photos on their pages. People with access to that page can click a “thumb’s up” button to show they “like” the photo.

Baxter said police have tried to contact Sanders, but believe he is avoiding law enforcement because he also has an arrest warrant for a Kenai case.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.

 

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