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Daily says sorry after posting photo of footballer with story about sex pest

A regional daily has apologised to a professional footballer after erroneously publishing his photograph on Twitter alongsideĀ a story about a sex offender.

The Sunderland Echo wrongly used a picture of former Sunderland AFC and Middlesbrough FC player Julio Arca at its office to illustrate a story about a man who simulated sex with a handrail and pulled his trousers down in front of underage girls on a train.

The incorrect headline and photograph combination appeared on the Echo’s official Twitter profile this morning along with a link to the story about pervert Christopher Lamb, but has since been deleted by the newspaper.

But Argentine Mr Arca, who now plays for non-league side South Shields, took to the social media site to share his outrage at the inaccuracy – which has since been widely shared by readers as a screenshot.

Julio Arca at the Sunderland Echo's office yesterday

Julio Arca at the Sunderland Echo’s office yesterday

He posted: “Look like the Sunderland Echo is going to be just in a little bit [of] trouble, f***ing joke what they just done.

“I don’t even want to put the article pic on because is disgusting but they f***ed up big time. I honestly feel sick seeing some of the comments.”

A link to the correct story about Mr Arca’s visit to the Echo’s office, which took place yesterday, was later posted by the newspaper.

It also republished a link to the story about the pervert, along with a statement apologising for the error.

It reads: “We published a link to this story earlier with a photo of an entirely innocent man. We apologise wholeheartedly.”

The Echo has also attempted to contact a number of readers who shared the inaccurate link as a screenshot to ask them to delete it.

9 comments

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  • March 24, 2017 at 3:01 pm
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    If Mr Arca decides to pursue this then it’s going to be very costly for JP. His name was trending on Twitter this morning

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  • March 24, 2017 at 3:41 pm
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    See previous HYFP stories and comments around the clowns who believe subs and experienced editors are no longer needed in the regional press, this yet again shows just how much they are to prevent this kind of naive cock up from happening.

    A number of costly court cases could well be the final nail in the coffin of those very same suits who see no further need for these positions at a time when the need has never been greater

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  • March 24, 2017 at 7:17 pm
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    Surely this story was just begging for the headline “Julio, down by the school yard…”
    Not much that can be said about this that doesn’t make it worse. We can only hope this doesn’t damage the Sunderland Echo’s reputation further or cost the company too much. It’s one thing libelling Joe Public but libel a former Premier League footballer at your peril. I can see big-eyed lawyers being all over this like a squadron of vultures on an overcrowded tree.

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  • March 25, 2017 at 10:47 am
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    “The Echo has also attempted to contact a number of readers who shared the inaccurate link as a screenshot to ask them to delete it.” Yeah, like that’s going to happen! What happens on the interweb, stays on the interweb. You just don’t see it do you, suits, do you?

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  • March 27, 2017 at 9:06 am
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    I fear that this sort of story will soon become a daily occurrence as under-pressure journalists struggle to cope with no pair of ‘second eyes’ spotting their mistakes.

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  • March 27, 2017 at 10:16 am
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    this sort of stuff predicted years ago by older hacks condemned as luddites and moaners. Don’t know about this case but across industry kids have been stuffing material on social media without supervision. JP understands only one thing….money. So this might shake them up.

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  • March 27, 2017 at 11:51 am
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    Everyone who posted comments around subs being axed and proper editors being replaced by yes men editors lite will have seen this type of problem coming a mile off, already HTFP has featured cases similar to this whereby a local tag finds itself in hot water over a very basic error being made either by sheer ignorance of the law, time pressures or social media copying and pasting.
    I too predict this wil become an everyday occurrence and a regular theme on HTFP with the reduction of quality staff in place to check,correct and prevent showing no sign of ending

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  • March 27, 2017 at 11:52 am
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    Tag not tag
    Apologies
    Too time pressured to check my own work …

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  • March 27, 2017 at 4:28 pm
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    Some fool in the office has now made the football reporters jobs impossible. Not to mention a costly libel

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