Posted: 8/1/06

Web site leads to discovery of pot

Sherburne County Sheriff’s Department destroyed more than 2,000 marijuana plants as a result of an investigation that rose out of information gathered from a social networking Web site.

According to Sheriff Bruce Anderson, the department’s gang and drug task force gathered enough information off the Web site to execute a warrant at a Zimmerman residence. On the Web site, a juvenile girl indicated there was marijuana growing at her house. When agents from the task force and Drug Enforcement Agency responded to the residence, they found approximately 2,000 marijuana plants growing on the property. The plants were removed and then destroyed. The investigation surrounding the marijuana continues.

Following the incident, Anderson urged parents to be diligent in monitoring the online activities of their children. “The juvenile in question made no attempt to be secretive about the marijuana. In fact, she had a picture of herself holding marijuana posted to her personal page online,” he said.

Anderson encouraged residents to familiarize themselves with social networking Web sites and to limit the amount of personal information listed on the sites. An online search using the term “online safety teens parents” resulted in numerous options for parents to gather additional information. One such site parents can visit is www.onguardonline.gov/socialnetworking_youth.html.

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