"Roy Moore’s accuser arrested and charged with falsification."
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Fake news: No, a Roy Moore accuser was not arrested for lying
Many supporters of Alabama Republican Roy Moore say they don’t believe accounts of his sexual advances on underage girls when he was in his 30s.
For those defenders, a spoof story on the website USA Mirror News may have confirmed their suspicions about the accusers. But the story — sweetened with a dash of retribution — is not true.
"Roy Moore’s accuser arrested and charged with falsification," the Dec. 8 headline read.
"After it was discovered that Roy Moore’s accuser is a liar and a Democrat, Alabama Attorney General John Simmons filed charges of falsification, a 1st-degree misdemeanor," the USA Mirror News story said. "Mary Lynne Davies, who said Roy Moore seduced and molested her when she was 14 years old and he was in his early 30s, now faces a year in prison and $10,000 in fines."
It isn’t obvious from the headline, but the article was published by a website that warns readers it is a satirical publication.
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Here’s how fake it is: There is no Mary Lynne Davies who has accused Moore. Nine women have come forward and there’s not a Davies among them.
On top of that, the Alabama Attorney General is Steve Marshall, not John Simmons.
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The only thing the item got right is that falsification is a misdemeanor under the Alabama State Legal Code.
The website has a disclaimer on its navigation bar, should any reader care to click on it:
"USAMirrorNews.com is a satirical publication that may appear sometimes to be telling the truth. We assure you that’s not the case. We present fiction as fact and our sources don’t actually exist."
Several other fake news sites carried this story. It is Pants on Fire!
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Our Sources
USA Mirror News, Roy Moore’s accuser arrested and charged with falsification, Dec. 8, 2017
USA Today, New ad from Doug Jones attacks Roy Moore over sexual misconduct allegations, Nov. 22, 2017
Quartz, These nine women have accused Roy Moore of sexual misconduct, Dec. 7, 2017
Alabama State Attorney General, Home page, accessed Dec. 11, 2017
FindLaw, Alabama Code Title 13A. Criminal Code § 13A-10-109, accessed Dec. 11, 2017
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Fake news: No, a Roy Moore accuser was not arrested for lying
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