Content-sharing Web sites tip off cops to criminal acts

Scripps Howard

A University of Colorado freshman has been ticketed for exploding fireworks on campus after officers said they saw him do it in a YouTube video.

It’s the first time CU police said they’ve used the user-submitted video Web site to cite someone for criminal behavior. But authorities say the arrest exemplifies how content-sharing Web sites such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube are being used more often as tools for evidence-gathering.

“It would not surprise me if they become more and more relevant,” said CU police Lt. Tim McGraw.

The YouTube violation at CU was reported to police last week.

Officers said a residence-hall director contacted them after several students reported seeing a video on YouTube.com that appeared to show freshman Joseph Ramos, 19, setting off a Roman candle on a campus lawn. The video was thought to have been filmed outside Sewall Hall on March 31.

“The single shot from the Roman candle struck the outside of the building, inside a balcony area,” but it didn’t cause any damage, according to a police report.

Ramos, who lives in Sewall Hall, was given a ticket for exploding fireworks. He couldn’t be reached to comment Thursday.

McGraw said that although the Internet has become an often-used tool, “I can’t think of another time that we’ve used YouTube.”

But other local authorities — including Boulder police investigators — have collected evidence in criminal cases from YouTube, My-Space and Facebook.

“If people are videotaping activities and putting them on YouTube — and we get wind of it and look at it — it can be used as evidence,” said Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner. “And it can be strong evidence.”

Boulder police recently browsed YouTube and MySpace to bust “fight clubs” at two high schools.

Judd Golden, director of the Boulder County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said there’s some question as to whether police should be using the sites for evidence.

“There’s the question of how far should law enforcement be going to gather evidence,” Golden said. “And the ACLU always comes down on the side of privacy.”

But, he conceded, “Once a person uses a public forum, you have to expect that people can take that information and use it for or against you.”