Six years had to be spent by a Runescape player in prison after he “just wanted to troll” another player – the FBI arrested him.
Six years had to be spent by Josh Pillaut in prison after he got into an argument online with another player. He actually just wanted to “troll” him – but it went horribly wrong when more and more evidence and statements began to turn against him. For many, this was a precedent.
What happened back then? Nineteen-year-old Josh Pillaut got into a discussion in the game Runescape on October 4, 2012. Another player told him to “commit suicide.” The two players insulted each other and hurled various threats. Pillaut went too far by saying that he would “shoot up Oxford High School” and that he “couldn’t wait to blow their brains out.” Four days later, the FBI was at his door and arrested Pillaut.
Additional evidence against him: Not helpful for his claims of innocence was the fact that the FBI had examined Pillaut’s PC and found documents “related to assembling bombs and other explosives.” His YouTube search history was also used against him, as he searched for the game “Super Columbine Massacre RPG” and “instructions on how to build a sawed-off shotgun and info on Molotov cocktails.”
An interest in the macabre “ran in the family”: In an interview with PCGamer, Pillaut explained that the files indeed exist – which he has never denied. However, he never intended to harm anyone. He had always had a fascination with the macabre, and for him, that was part of daily life. Many members of his family worked in the justice system, so conversations about murderers and serial killers were common. They often discussed how such people think and what needs to go wrong for someone to commit such an act. “Just like other families discuss their work and hobbies, this was something like our hobby,” his mother confirmed.
The case was much larger. There were statements from two ex-girlfriends confirming his “obsession” with the Columbine massacre. Additionally, he had a steep drug career. Alcohol and marijuana at 14, cocaine at 15, and by 17 a severe addiction to various inhalants.
In the end, it turns out that the trigger for his nearly six-year prison stay was a few thoughtless words in an online game.
Hopefully, this story serves as a warning to some. The internet is not an anonymous, lawless space – the more people understand this, the better it is for everyone.
