A U.K. teenager was arrested and cited for harassment Tuesday for posting malicious Twitter messages directed at British Olympic diver Tom Daley, police said.
The first tweet told Daley he had let down his dad with his fourth-place finish in Monday's synchronized diving performance. A later tweet threatened Daley with drowning.
Daley's father died of brain cancer last year and the 18-year-old Olympian had said he wanted to win a medal in tribute to his father's memory.
In his own Twitter feed, Daley said had given his all to win a medal, and then ''you get idiot's sending me this.''
Police in Dorset, southwest England, arrested the 17-year-old tweeter and held him for several hours before issuing him with a harassment warning and releasing him. Dorset Police said the teen was told that detectives would investigate his recent other tweets and he could be summoned back for further questioning.
One tweet from the teen's account read: ''You let your dad down i hope you know that.''
Another tweet, from the same Twitter handle, turned apologetic.
''I'm sorry mate i just wanted you to win cause its the olympics I'm just annoyed we didn't win I'm sorry tom accept my apology.''
Later, the tweets become more aggressive, such as one that said: ''I'm going to find you and I'm going to drown you in the pool.''
Subsequent tweets, laced with profanity, took aim at the media and other Twitter users who criticized his posts.
Police arrested the teenager at a bed and breakfast in the coastal town of Weymouth.
In Britain, tweeting messages that are considered menacing, offensive or indecent can be a criminal offense.
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Online:
https://twitter.com/TomDaley1994
