A story that went viral earlier this week claimed that a Florida man was arrested for having sex with an alligator. Considering that crazy things happen in Florida, that sounded plausible. But was there any truth to it?
A site called ThugVirals.com claimed that a 59-year-old man named Rupert Darwin was keeping a 12-foot alligator tied up and blindfolded for a month. The man, described as “odd” by his Everglades City neighbors, allegedly sexually assaulted the alligator multiple times a day.
The Collier County Sheriffs responded to concerned calls by a witness and arrested him on animal cruelty and illegally keeping a wild animal. The author of the story even claimed to have obtained Darwin’s statement to police.
Was any of this true? The Inquisitr searched for Darwin’s arrest record, but they couldn’t find any records of a “Richard Darwin” getting arrested in Collier County.
However, the story gained so much traction that the sheriff’s office had to issue a statement confirming that it was fake.
Hey everyone - this story seems to be gaining traction on social media, but don't believe it. It's as fake as crocodile tears. http://thugvirals.com/florida-man-arrested-for-having-sex-with-an-alligator/
Posted by Collier County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Dear Internet, the next time you want to share a crazy Florida story, make sure it’s true. There are so many, you don’t have to make one up.