Controversial Facebook photo brought New Jersey cops to a man’s door

A photo uploaded on Facebook sparked a huge controversy as it was depicting an 11-year-old boy with a .22 semi-automatic rifle.

Photographers get into trouble very often because of various reasons. They upload photos that some people do not like, some images break the Terms of Service, and then there is Shawn Moore.

Underage Josh Moore holding a .22 semi-automatic rifle in his hands. Credits: Shawn Moore.

Uploading a photo on Facebook can bring the police to your door

The local police and child protection services paid Moore, who is living in Carneys Point, New Jersey, a “courtesy visit”, after he uploaded a controversial photo on Facebook.

The picture consisted of Moore’s son, called Josh, who had been posing with an alleged Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 rifle in his hands. The police has been alerted of the image and they have decided to pay a visit to Josh’s father.

When the police arrived, the gun owner was not at home. He received a message from his wife and by the time Moore arrived at home, the New Jersey police had already entered his house.

Officers were kicked out for lack of a search warrant

The gun owner was on the phone with his lawyer, who explained to the authorities that they need to leave the house immediately because they do not have a warrant.

The New Jersey police officers wanted to check the gun safe, in order to see whether the “gear” had been officially registered or not. Moore refused because the officers did not present a search warrant.

Additionally, an employee of the Department of Youth and Family Services threatened that she would take away his kids. However, she refused to reveal her credentials and she was forced to leave the scene.

It appears that the police and child protection services did not even see the photo in question. Instead, they arrived at the scene after someone gave them an anonymous call, informing the police of the image details.

The gun was a gift for Moore’s son, but it was just a replica

Moore decided to make his story public on the Delaware Open Carry forum. He also explained that the gun had been given as a present to his son, on his eleventh birthday. Shawn even posted the picture of Josh holding the gun, which allegedly was just a copy.

This whole situation proves that people should be more careful when uploading photos on the internet, as you never know who is watching.