(this is not how John Condon got started)
The San Antonio Express-News’ Eva Ruth Moravec reports Mike Lavendar, an in-game announcer for the Spurs, minor league baseball’s Missions (Texas League) and the AHL’s Rampage, has been charged under Texas’ relatively new online “harrassment-spoofing” law, and was released from an area jail last weekend after posting bail.
Police said Lavender used a Twitter account, œ@SkanksInSA411, in June to harass the 33-year-old reporter, claiming she was in a relationship with a married man.
Because of the sensitivity of the allegations, the San Antonio Express-News is not identifying the reporter.
An arrest warrant affidavit states that an SAPD detective secured a grand jury subpoena and a court order to obtain the Twitter user’s IP address, which connected the account to Lavender’s home computer.
Police said Lavender admitted sending the messages from the social networking site.
Lavender’s Twitter feed indicates he didn’t expect the comments could bring criminal charges.
œOh (reporter), this isn’t harassment, it’s fate coming to get you. We all can see the (sic) pics on your FaceBook, and his FaceBook, reads one tweet, or message sent publicly through Twitter and limited to 140 characters.
In other posts, he compared her to Nicole Kidman’s character in the movie œTo Die For, called her a œhomewrecker and told his followers to boycott the station where she works.
Lavender’s biography has been removed from the Spurs’ website (here’s a cached version) ; though his wedding production company still appears to be in business.