Retired Cop Fined for Bacon Meme on Child Marriage
Retired UK police officer fined over £1,000 for sharing meme on child marriage, sparking free speech debate.
2 min read
A retired police officer in the UK has been fined over £1,000 after being convicted of sharing a meme that critics say targeted child marriage in parts of the Muslim world. Stephen Gray, 65, a former Cleveland Police officer with nearly 30 years of service, was found guilty under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 for posting a meme that juxtaposed a rasher of bacon with a man in a turban and included the caption: “Fun facts about bacon! People who eat bacon have a lower chance of marrying a 9-year-old!”
Context and Legal Proceedings
Gray, who has fostered children with his wife Alex, claimed the post was a reference to the traditional Islamic account of the Prophet Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha, which he said was meant to spark debate about the continued acceptance of child marriage in parts of the Muslim world. Despite his defense, the court ruled the message was “grossly offensive” and dismissed his argument that it raised a serious point about child marriage because it was “framed in a jokey way.”
The case was initially dismissed by the Crown Prosecution Service, but a neighbor used the Victims’ Right to Review scheme to force the case back on. The neighbor, who was not Muslim, had reported Gray for resharing two posts, one of which was about mass deportation and the other about the bacon meme. The judge split the difference, acquitting Gray on the first post but convicting him on the second.
Free Speech and Legal Concerns
Gray has appealed the conviction, with the Free Speech Union funding his case and instructing criminal silk John Beggs KC. The case is expected to reach the Crown Court later this year. The FSU has warned of a sharp rise in cases punishing criticism of Islam and highlighted the use of non-statutory “anti-Muslim hostility” definitions in similar cases.
Gray has also expressed concern that the conviction could jeopardize his fostering checks, stating that he does not believe a comparable joke about the Catholic Church and child abuse would have led to a conviction. He argued that the Communications Act is effectively reinstating blasphemy laws, which were abolished in 2008.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
