Making threats against the president's life is a crime, regardless of whether it's done on paper or on Twitter. That's the lesson from the case of Donte Jamar Sims, a 22-year-old man who was sentenced Wednesday to six months of prison for threatening President Barack Obama in a series of tweets.
Sims will also live under a year of supervised release after his prison term is up, according to the Charlotte Observer. The Observer reported that Sims pleaded guilty in a deal to avoid incarceration, though the judge in the case rejected the offer.
The Charlotte, N.C., man was arrested in September after threatening to kill the president via his Twitter handle, @DestroyLeague_D. Authorities confirmed Sims was the owner of the account via search warrants.
Some of Sims' tweets are still available online:
Well Ima Assassinate president Obama this evening !... Gotta get this monkey off my chest while he's in town -_-— D.League(@DestroyLeague_D) September 3, 2012
Death threats sent via Twitter became all too common during last year's presidential election, prompting the Secret Service to ask Twitter users to report threats spotted on the platform. Such threats are also commonly alleged against other well-known figures, such as actors, athletes and musicians.
Do you think Twitter should take further action against death threats online? Share your thoughts in the comments.