Defamatory Facebook post costs Abbotsford woman $65,000

A British Columbia woman has been orderedto pay more than $65,000 after making unfounded accusations on Facebook suggesting her neighbour was a pedophile who set up mirrorsand cameras in his backyard to spy on her children.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled that Katherine Van Nes's"viral" online posts were "completely false and unjustified" andhad a devastating effect on Douglas Pritchard and his career as amiddle-school music teacher.

Noise complaint

In his ruling, Justice Anthony Saunders describes how theAbbotsford neighbours' relationship began to deteriorate after Pritchard approached Van Nes in 2011 about turning off a newly-builtbackyard pond and waterfall at night, which he said interrupted hiswife's sleep.

Pritchard and his wife were eventually advised by themunicipality to document their complaints after a series of worsening unneighbourly conduct by Van Nes and her family.

The court document says those efforts, along with theinstallation of a decorative mirror, prompted Van Nes to take to Facebook, which she described as a form of "venting."

Damage done

Van Nes removed her defamatory comments after about 27 hours, butthe ruling says by then the damage had been done, including onemember of the community contacting the principal of the school wherePritchard worked about the allegations.

"The seriousness of Ms. Van Nes's defamatory Facebook post, herreplies, and the comments of her 'friends' cannot be overstated,"Saunders writes.

"An accusation of pedophilic behaviour must be the single mosteffective means of destroying a teacher's reputation and career, notto mention the devastating effect on their life and individualdignity.He now faces the challenge of repairing the damage Ms. Van Neshas caused, if that is even possible at this point."

The judgment awards Pritchard $50,000 in general damages, $15,000in punitive damages and $2,500 for his nuisance claim.

It also orders the Van Nes household to turn off the waterfall inthe backyard pond nightly between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.