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00:00UK IT Consultant Discusses Arrest After Posting Vacation Picks
00:04A UK IT consultant says he endured 13 weeks of hell after being arrested for posting photos
00:11of himself holding legal firearms while vacationing in Florida.
00:15John Richelieu Booth, 50, took the photos on private property during a trip to the U.S.,
00:20and later shared them on LinkedIn.
00:22When he returned home to West Yorkshire in August, police visited his house, telling
00:26him the images had raised concerns online.
00:29Richelieu Booth says he offered proof that the photos were taken in the United States,
00:34where recreational shooting is legal, but officers told him it wasn't necessary.
00:39A week later, police returned and arrested him on suspicion of possessing a firearm with
00:43the intent to cause fear of violence.
00:46He was also linked to a separate stalking allegation involving a photo of a house posted on his
00:50account.
00:51He spent a night in custody before being questioned and released on bail.
00:56Police seized his electronics, preventing him from working as an independent IT contractor.
01:00Richelieu Booth says officers returned three more times before all charges were dropped.
01:06The ordeal, he says, damaged both his career and personal life and amounted to massive overreach.
01:14Anybody should be allowed to say anything they wish, as long as it's not hateful, he told
01:18the Telegraph, questioning why illegal American activity triggered a UK criminal investigation.
01:24The case drew international attention after Elon Musk shared the story, commenting that
01:28it illustrated why the US has strong free speech and gun rights protections.
01:33Despite charges repeatedly collapsing, Richelieu Booth was re-arrested in October for allegedly
01:39breaching bail and later faced a public order accusation, all of which the Crown Prosecution
01:44Service ultimately dropped.
01:46He is now considering a formal complaint against West Yorkshire Police.
01:50Police said they acted on a stalking complaint involving posts that appeared threatening, but
01:54confirmed the CPS discontinued the case.
01:58The incident has sparked wider debate about social media, free expression, and how actions
02:02legal abroad can create legal complications at home.
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