Updated 10:41 AM EST, Sun, Dec 22, 2024

Suspect Arrested for Indecent Exposure Urges Officer to "Check Out" Illegal Grow House on YouTube

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File this under moves you may not want to make while being arrested. Zachary Peak of Fayette county, Georgia was in the process of being arrested on a charge of indecent exposure stemming from an incident at a public swimming pool, when for some inexplicable reason he remarked to the arresting officer that he should 'check out his YouTube channel.'

While the officer initially thought nothing of the comment, curiosity got the best of him. A day later, the officer surfed onto the suspect's YouTube channel and was shocked to find a video, posted by the suspect, of an illegal attic "grow room," in which 33 marijuana plants were growing.

Citing the video as evidence, Peachtree City police officers obtained a search warrant for Peak's house to check things out. Upon entry to the attic, officers discovered and confiscated all 33 marijuana plants and growing supplies. Peak was then given additional charges of manufacturing, distributing and possession of marijuana. Peak's mother, who is also shown in one of the videos, owns the house in which investigators searched.  

It's a strange leap from a simple charge of skinny-dipping in a public pool to being pinned for an illegal grow operation, and Zachary Peak is now facing serious charges from the search and seizure.

And while Peak's video bravado during his initial arrest seems like an odd way to get busted, the precedent that the case sets is even more disturbing. When being arrested for a minor charge, officers can look up a suspects name on the Internet and see if anything illegal pops up. If other illegal infractions are found, there is a chance more charges can be levied upon the accused.

As technology evolves, so does law enforcement. The Internet is a place of personal freedom and expression. Peak is now facing charges not only for his big mouth, but because the arresting officers had access to his home address from the initial arrest for indecent exposure, while the average 'Joe-blow' who posts his grow room videos without any contact information is seemingly safe -- for now.

Although Peak's case may be unique in that his urging the officer to check out the YouTube channel led to his bust, there are incidents of people being arrested for crimes related to online videos popping up across the nation.  

The recent case of Antwain Steward, an aspiring rap artist, is one example. Steward was acquitted for murder charges that were allegedly confessed through the rapper's lyrics on hisYouTube video.

While no formal confession was made, prosecutors argued that lyrics could be used as a confession, as the video of Steward ensures that he wrote them. Ultimately, Steward sidestepped the murder charge but was convicted of gun possession in a puzzling mixed result.

Although murder and growing pot are two very different crimes, the process by which law enforcement officers gather evidence on YouTube remains the same. 

Ultimately, social media comments or video can be used against you in the court of law. Law enforcement in the United Kingdom are taking online "commenting crimes" quite seriously as of late, and are prosecuting defendants for crimes in which they will face prison sentences in cases of extremely offensive material.

On April 30, Leeds teacher Ann Maguire was stabbed to death by one of her pupils, 21-year-old Jack Newsome. A couple of days after the crime, Newsome posted, "Personally im (sic) glad that teacher got stabbed up, feel sorry for the kid... he shoulda pissed on her too."

Newsome's post was shared thousands of times, leading to interest by the authorities. He was ultimately arrested by authorities for the comments, and is currently awaiting trial.

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