A Dutch teenager who stole virtual furniture from Habbo Hotel, a 3D social networking website, has had his avatar sent to jail for 3 months.
The boy, who cannot be named because we don't know who he is, is said to have logged into the digital world, visited a hotel and moved some furniture from a room in that digital hotel to his own digital room within the website.
A virtual policeman said:
"Too many users. Please try later."
However, the real police were less amused and barged into the boy's house where they arrested him and took him to a real police station, where he was put in a real cell with real other prisoners, one of whom was a real drunk who tried to give him a real rogering when the police weren't looking.
The boy's mother said:
"This is all a fuss over nothing. Stealing from a digital world isn't really stealing. The police must be mad."
A judge in the real world agreed, releasing the boy but sending his avatar to a cyber jail for 3 months.
The boy is reported to have told the judge:
"Good on you, mate. I'll check out Second Life for the next 3 months."
