Editorial: Can You Be Arrested For Liking Facebook Statuses??? Ask Thaddeus Matthews

The host of a Memphis online radio show was arrested Tuesday after he “liked” the Facebook status of a woman who filed a restraining order against him.

Thaddeus Matthews of the Thaddeus Matthews Show demonstrated his virtual appreciation for a video posted by Towonna Murphy, with whom Matthews had a prior sexual relationship with according to the radio host.

Murphy, who has apparently filed a restraining order against Matthews since the end of their relationship, showed police multiple screenshots of Matthews’ Facebook Like, after which he was arrested and charged with violating a court order, according to Radio Ink. Matthews has since been released on $1,000 bail.

Matthews had multiple child pornography charges brought against him last November after posting an image depicting child pornography to his Facebook page more than a year prior. The Commercial Appeal based in Memphis reports the image showed a sex act between a man and a child of less than 5-years-old.

At the time Matthews claimed to know nothing about the charges, which included aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, but planned to address it on his radio show.

Matthews was charged along with two young girls, ages 13 and 16, all of whom shared the photo on Facebook.