Tuesday, 22 April 2008 16:58
A Dublin man has been detained in accordance with the Communications Regulation Act 2002 after an alleged malicious attack on the website of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the leading professional wrestling company based in the US.
The attacks are reported to have taken place over a period of two days last weekend. The newly created WWE Fan Nation Forum was the subject of the attack.
A WWE spokesman told RTÉ that the attacks on the forum consisted of "lewd and vile diatribes" aimed at WWE and its global fanbase. It is understood that many users were involved in the attacks but so far only one person has been charged.
WWE spokesman Gary Davis said, "certain postings made on the WWE Fan Nation Forum were unacceptable and against the rules set down by WWE. The users who made these postings have been traced and their information has been forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agencies."
Mr Davis also added that WWE believe that although many of the rogue users acted independently, a certain number of them coordinated their attacks through a rival wrestling fan forum, believed to be Figure Four Online. Some form of legal action is expected to take place before the end of the week.
The postings that have created this controversy are understood to have been pornographic in nature. This is a huge concern to WWE, whose fanbase largely consists of young children.
The man arrested, known only as Dave Anchorking, is believed to be a resident of the Blanchardstown area of Dublin. Efforts made to contact the man’s family were unsuccessful