Family’s Home Raided over Facebook Photo of Child’s Rifle

[Cronus]

Family’s Home Raided over Facebook Photo of Child’s Rifle

Posted in Top Stories | 0 comments

Mar 19, 2013

By Todd Starnes

New Jersey police and Dept. of Children and Families officials raided the home of a firearms instructor and demanded to see his guns after he posted a Facebook photo of his 11-year-old son holding a rifle.

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“Someone called family services about the photo,” said Evan Nappen, an attorney representing Shawn Moore. “It led to an incredible, heavy-handed raid on his house. They wanted to see his gun safe, his guns and search his house. They even threatened to take his kids.”

Moore was not arrested or charged.

This is the Facebook photo that led to the police raid.

A Dept. of Children and Families spokesperson told Fox News they could not confirm or deny an investigation or raid had taken place due to government regulations.

“The department has a child abuse hotline for the state of New Jersey and anybody can make a call to that hotline,” spokesperson Kristen Brown said. “We are required to follow up on every single allegation that comes into the central registry.”

Moore, of Carneys Point, is a certified firearms instructor for the National Rifle Association, an NRA range safety officer and a New Jersey hunter education instructor.

He recently posted a photograph of his son wearing camouflage and holding his new .22 rifle. The child has a New Jersey hunting license and recently passed the state’s hunter safety course.

“If you look at the picture, his finger isn’t even on the trigger – which is proper,” Nappen told Fox News. “If half of Hollywood could follow that rule we’d be thankful.”

Brown said their role is not to go out and search Facebook for photos of children holding weapons.

“In general our role is to investigate allegations of child abuse and neglect,” she said.

The family’s trouble started Saturday night when Moore received an urgent text message from his wife. The Carneys Point Police Dept. and the New Jersey Dept. of Children and Families had raided their home.

Moore immediately called Nappen and rushed home to find officers demanding to check his guns and his gun safe.

Instead, he handed the cell phone to one of the officers – so they could speak with Nappen.

“If you have a warrant, you’re coming in,” Nappen told the officers. “If you don’t, then you’re not. That’s what privacy is all about.”

With his attorney on speaker phone, Moore instructed the officers to leave his home.

“I was told I was being unreasonable and that I was acting suspicious because I wouldn’t open my safe,” Moore wrote on the Delaware Open Carry website. “They told me they were going to get a search warrant. I told them to go ahead.”

Moore took this photo of police outside his home.

Nappen told Fox News the police wanted to inventory his firearms.

“”We said no way, it’s not happening,” he said. “This is a guy who is completely credentialed and his son is also credentialed.”

The attorney said police eventually left and never returned.

“He has a Fourth Amendment right and he’s not going to give up his Fourth Amendment right or his Second Amendment right,” he said. “They didn’t have a warrant – so see you later.”

Brown told Fox News that it’s “prudent and wise to protect children.”

“In many cases we may follow up on something and we don’t find any problems and the case is closed,” she said.

But the person who reported the false allegations of abuse cannot be held liable, she noted.

“You can’t be prosecuted for making an allegation of child abuse –even if it’s false,” she said.

Nappen said what happened to the Moore family should serve as a warning to gun owners across the nation.

“To make someone go through this because he posted a picture of his son with a .22 rifle on his Facebook page is pretty outrageous,” he said. “Does that mean that anyone who posts a picture like that has to consent to a home inspection and a gun inspection? I don’t think so.”

Nappen said they are considering taking legal action against the state for the late night raid.

 

[Sentinel7]

Stand up for your legal rights people even if you have to do at the end of a gun.

This is exactly why the 2nd Amendent exsits

 

 

No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise

[psdon]

It,s Nazi Germany the Ob*^ma way  

[Shabibilicious]

I certainly don't agree with the home invasion......that is going way too far.  That said, it is quite stupid to post a picture like that with today's contentious gun issues.  He should stick to what he knows......gun safety and instruction.....and stay away from Facebook........the internet's answer to the "noisy neighbor."  

 

GO RV, then BV

[Bat of Darkness]

This is why Facebook is so important...and why Facebook wriggled their rules and settings around until everyone's Facebook pages are readily accessible to all kinds of parasites.  It's kind of like the fact that your credit file doesn't belong to you, the companies that control it, own it, and you can't stop them from selling that information to the highest bidder.  Except for about three months when you suffer from identify theft.  They are intentionally exposing you to crime, fraud, and various other evils for monetary gain.

[easyrider]

This is why i dont have anything to do with facebook its owned by the government dont be fooled.

This is why Facebook is so important...and why Facebook wriggled their rules and settings around until everyone's Facebook pages are readily accessible to all kinds of parasites.  It's kind of like the fact that your credit file doesn't belong to you, the companies that control it, own it, and you can't stop them from selling that information to the highest bidder.  Except for about three months when you suffer from identify theft.  They are intentionally exposing you to crime, fraud, and various other evils for monetary gain.

very true and spot on!!

[sxsess]

Stand up for your legal rights people even if you have to do at the end of a gun.

This is exactly why the 2nd Amendent exsits

 

 

No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise

Thats right sentinel. *uck these *ssholes. Bring it on!!

[dog53]

BS if I want to take a snap shot of my grandson holding a rifle and show it off on line  thats my business.

There`s no law broken.

At least he did the right thing. With out a search warrent they cannot enter your home period.

[sxsess]

I certainly don't agree with the home invasion......that is going way too far.  That said, it is quite stupid to post a picture like that with today's contentious gun issues.  He should stick to what he knows......gun safety and instruction.....and stay away from Facebook........the internet's answer to the "noisy neighbor."  

 

GO RV, then BV

I agree with you. I stay way away from social media. 

[Shabibilicious]

Just as it's everybody's right to open their mouths and give their opinion......doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.  Time and place.     See......I just did it.     

 

GO RV, then BV

[dog53]

I dont understand the right time and place thing shabs sorry. Obviously this man was proud of his son and wanted to show off a pic of him.

Face book is where all your family and friends will see it. I often post pics of my grand kids doing their first something.

Every boy that is in the hunting gun culture at that age gets his first .22 rifle. Nothing would have been said if it was the plain Jane 22 auto that grandpa used to have. No cops would have been called.  Thats why I have a problem with this. Once again its a cosmetic issue of one gun looking BAD when its the same gun that's been in use for years.

[Nelg]

If the kid just passed his New Jersey safty course and has his hunting lisciense and he wanted to honor about his kid, and possible promote his instruction classes.  Nothing inordinate about that. 

The same law that protects "whisle blowers" protects the person who reported this to the Child Services and the Police.  The "whisle blower" cannot be prosecuted.  This protection may work, but we are developing an atmosphere of "snitching" on my neighbor or family member that existed in dactor societies.  It is unhealthy.  It is similiar to that period during the 50's where the government tried to get individuals to disclose all their friends names who were associated with "known communists." Whether they were communist or not, this gave the fuel to giving out peoples names.  It was called the "McCarthy Era" and was a dark period of USA history.  

I believe this type of "search" will continue if "we the people" do not put a stop to it immediately.

[dog53]

Same gun   hold 18 rounds and shoots as fast as you can pull the trigger

[Shabibilicious]

I dont understand the right time and place thing shabs sorry. Obviously this man was proud of his son and wanted to show off a pic of him.

Face book is where all your family and friends will see it. I often post pics of my grand kids doing their first something.

Every boy that is in the hunting gun culture at that age gets his first .22 rifle. Nothing would have been said if it was the plain Jane 22 auto that grandpa used to have. No cops would have been called.  Thats why I have a problem with this. Once again its a cosmetic issue of one gun looking BAD when its the same gun that's been in use for years.

 

It only takes one of your family members or friends to "like" that picture......and not having their settings done appropriately in their facebook account and it is now visible to all of their friends and so on and so on.  Now that picture has been viewed by God knows who and things go awry.  As far as right place, right time......it seems too soon after some of these mass shootings, as people are on edge.  I personally don't care about the picture.  It's just that if it is going to be posted, then the poster has to be prepared for any fallout......even if it's his right to post it.

 

GO RV, then BV

[sxsess]

Same gun   hold 18 rounds and shoots as fast as you can pull the trigger

That is one evil gun Dog!! I wished guns were nicer so all these people they killed would still be alive.. 

[Goldiegirl]

The minute you put anything out on the internet you no longer own it. That includes your privacy.  You make yourself a target for anyone to come after you.

 

With all that goes on in today's world with chidren killing children and adults killing children you think that parents would think twice.

 

We can no longer believe we are living in the 60's...wake up...

Edited March 20, 2013 by Goldiegirl

[Iownya83]

I agree with you. I stay way away from social media. 

 

Hey wait isn't DV Social media and is that you with a gun in that photo????????????????   I know what you meant just wanted to fun with you LOL.

[Shabibilicious]

Hey wait isn't DV Social media and is that you with a gun in that photo????????????????   I know what you meant just wanted to fun with you LOL.

 

That's not a picture of sxsess.....look at the goofy track pants and sleeveless shirt.  No self-respecting Texan would be sporting such an ensemble.  I also, am just kidding.    

 

GO RV, then BV

[Goldiegirl]

It only takes one of your family members or friends to "like" that picture......and not having their settings done appropriately in their facebook account and it is now visible to all of their friends and so on and so on.  Now that picture has been viewed by God knows who and things go awry.  As far as right place, right time......it seems too soon after some of these mass shootings, as people are on edge.  I personally don't care about the picture.  It's just that if it is going to be posted, then the poster has to be prepared for any fallout......even if it's his right to post it.

 

GO RV, then BV

Shabbs, I have to agree with you. Everyone out there is having a knee jerk reaction anymore and you have to be "extra" careful what you do and say.

 

It's just not the same world anymore Wally...

 

Edited March 20, 2013 by Goldiegirl

[Shabibilicious]

Shabbs, I have to agree with you. Everyone out there is having a knee jerk reaction anymore and you have to be "extra" careful what you do and say.

 

It's just not the same lifetyle anymore Wally...

 

 

I had this conversation with a teacher friend of mine.  I asked her if she was okay with the pictures of herself and some friends at a winery she had posted on her facebook page?  She replied that she is very specific in as far as who could see her facebook pics.....only her family and friends.  I told her I was looking at that picture with my cousins 14 year old son who is this teacher's student........the boy's mother is the teacher's facebook friend.  The look on her face was terrible.  You never know who's looking.

 

GO RV, then BV

[Goldiegirl]

I had this conversation with a teacher friend of mine.  I asked her if she was okay with the pictures of herself and some friends at a winery she had posted on her facebook page?  She replied that she is very specific in as far as who could see her facebook pics.....only her family and friends.  I told her I was looking at that picture with my cousins 14 year old son who is this teacher's student........the boy's mother is the teacher's facebook friend.  The look on her face was terrible.  You never know who's looking.

 

GO RV, then BV

I personally do not own a facebook account. Anybody that knows me and wants to know what I'm up to can give me a call or visit me. As for friends finding me from the past....well if they aren't in m life now, there must be a reason...

 

Very true Shabbs, you never know what can happen with her picture.

 

All you teenage and college students who are posting your drunken frat parties...try and get a job in a decent career down the road because that stuff it out there and it can damage your future...and those companies will find it.

[Shabibilicious]

When my son graduated from college, the first thing his adviser told him to do was cancel his Facebook account........perspective employers view all that kind of stuff.  As for me, I have a Facebook account which helped me get in touch with all of my old Army buddies.  So, I will keep it going, but I don't share too much info.  I saw just this morning that my ex sister-in-law posted her excitement for her upcoming vacation.....right down to the time she is leaving.  I was tempted to post her and see where she hides the house key.....just to make a point.    

 

GO RV, then BV

[dog53]

The minute you put anything out on the internet you no longer own it. That includes your privacy.  You make yourself a target for anyone to come after you.

 

With all that goes on in today's world with chidren killing children and adults killing children you think that parents would think twice.

 

We can no longer believe we are living in the 60's...wake up...

 

Sorry goldie I disagree  I shouldnt have to think twice and as far as I know its the same constitution here in America as it was in 1960.

If I am breaking no laws and have done no wrong. They can bite my A$$.  Period

[DinarMillionaire]

Sorry goldie I disagree  I shouldnt have to think twice and as far as I know its the same constitution here in America as it was in 1960.

If I am breaking no laws and have done no wrong. They can bite my A$$.  Period

GREAT POINT, dog!

I disagree with anyone who thinks a person has to be afraid of consequences from the government for posting ANYTHING on a social media page, that is not morally reprehensible or against the law. There is absolutely no cause for alarm, in the posted picture, that warrants this kind of tyrannical, governmental abuse.

Thomas Jefferson sums this up quite well.

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

This is an outrage and perfect example of...

Tyranny [ tir-uh-nee ]

1. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. 2. the government or rule of a tyrant or absolute ruler. 3. a state ruled by a tyrant or absolute ruler.

[gymrat76541]

Please DO NOT follow this guys advise. Point a gun at law enforcement and your rights go straight down the drain. 

Do exactly as this gun owner did. Insist on your rights & everything will be fine!

 

Stand up for your legal rights people even if you have to do at the end of a gun.

This is exactly why the 2nd Amendent exsits

 

 

No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise