| Peter Chapman | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 1977[1] Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside, England |
| Conviction(s) | Rape, theft, murder |
| Penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Status | Imprisoned |
Peter Chapman (born January 1977) is a British convicted murderer who has featured heavily in the media in the United Kingdom and has become known as the "Facebook killer." He was jailed for a minimum of 35 years in March 2010 and his crime has led to serious criticism of police monitoring and Facebook.[2][3]
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Chapman was brought up by his grandparents in Stockton-on-Tees and had been charged with sexual offences before the murder of Ashleigh Hall. He was first investigated at the age of 15, and four years later he received a seven-year prison sentence for raping two prostitutes at knifepoint. He was released in 2001, and had eventually fallen off the 'police radar.' This has led to serious criticism and a report to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.[4][5] He has been convicted of motoring offences and theft.[6]
Chapman used a fake Facebook profile, impersonating a teenage boy, to befriend Ashleigh Hall, a 17-year-old college student from Darlington. In reality, he was a 33-year old man living in his car. She met him on 25 October 2009 and according to the prosecution, "When she met him on 25 October last year, he kidnapped, raped and murdered her."[7]
On 3 March 2010, Facebook, as a direct response to the killing, warned under-18 users not to meet people from the internet, and gave advice on how to stay safe online. They also said they were "deeply saddened".[8]