TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 55-year-old man in Chiayi was sentenced to 30 days of detention for spreading false information about a crocodile sighting during Typhoon Gaemi in July.

The man, surnamed Hsu (許), admitted to the offense during trial. The Chiayi District Court ruled that his sentence could be commuted to a fine, per CNA.

Hsu was also placed on a two-year probation and ordered to pay NT$20,000 (US$610) to the public treasury. In Taiwan, the public treasury refers to the government's financial management agency, while the central government's public treasury is known as the national treasury, according to LawTW.

According to the Chiayi District Prosecutors Office, on July 24, Hsu downloaded a photo of a crocodile from an unknown location and posted it on his personal Facebook account. He captioned the image: “Was just about to check on a farmland, then I ran into this guy at the village entrance, scared me.”

The court determined that Hsu deliberately spread false information about a crocodile appearing at the village entrance during the typhoon. His actions had the potential to alarm residents who were already on high alert.

Given the dangers posed by severe weather, the court ruled that Hsu’s post could have caused unnecessary panic. The judge also noted that deploying emergency responders to deal with a nonexistent crocodile would have wasted resources and hindered real disaster relief efforts.

However, the court took into account that Hsu had no prior criminal record, confessed to the crime, and appeared to have learned his lesson. He was sentenced under the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act, which penalizes false reports that disrupt public order during disasters.

Taiwan’s Disaster Prevention and Protection Act stipulates that crimes such as theft, fraud, and robbery committed during disasters can carry increased penalties. Additionally, the Social Order Maintenance Act prohibits spreading rumors that could undermine public order and peace.