UK IT Consultant Discusses Arrest After Posting Vacation Pics

An IT consultant from the UK says he went through “13 weeks of hell” after being arrested for posting photos of himself holding firearms while on vacation in Florida. Jon Richelieu-Booth, 50, was visiting the United States and staying on private property with friends when he took and later posted the pictures to his LinkedIn account.

The photos, which showed Richelieu-Booth posing with guns, were taken in Florida where such activity is legal. However, when he returned to the UK in August, he says police showed up at his home in West Yorkshire. Officers reportedly told him someone had raised concerns about his social media activity.

According to Richelieu-Booth, he offered to show police proof that the pictures were taken in the U.S., where gun ownership and recreational shooting are legal. Officers allegedly said that wouldn’t be necessary.

A week later, on August 23, police returned to Richelieu-Booth’s home and arrested him on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He was also allegedly linked to a separate accusation of stalking, based on a photograph of a house that had appeared on his social media.

Richelieu-Booth was held in a jail cell overnight before being questioned. He was then released on bail but said his personal electronics — including his phone and computer — were seized, making it impossible for him to work during the investigation. He is an independent contractor who works in information technology.

He claims police returned to his house three more times before all charges were eventually dropped. According to him, the experience affected both his personal life and his career.

Richelieu-Booth described the experience as “massive overreach” and questioned why a legal activity in another country led to such serious consequences once he returned to the UK.

“Anybody should be allowed to say anything they wish, as long as it’s not hateful,” he told The Telegraph. “When did we go from a society where you can have a discussion with somebody and say, ‘I don’t like your opinion, but I’ll just disagree,’ to calling the police instead?”