Threats against presidential candidates exposed on Twitter

J.J. Green, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – A spate of graphic death threats against Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney surfaced on Twitter after Tuesday night’s presidential debate.

The latest threats join a growing number of death threats against both President Barack Obama and Romney that have surfaced on the Internet in the last few weeks.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary tells WTOP they are “aware of the tweets and will conduct appropriate follow up.”

A Charlotte, N.C. man was arrested on Sept. 6 after threatening to kill Mr. Obama on Twitter. The tweets by 21-year-old Donte Jamar Sims, were discovered by a Secret Service intelligence specialist.

A law enforcement source tells WTOP, while those who make threats via social media are taken very seriously, they are often more easily tracked down tracked down than those whose threats are overheard and then reported.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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