An accused January 6 rioter who is on house arrest asked a judge to let him use websites and social media to find a job and look for a date.
The January 6 insurrection resulted in the indictment of Thomas Sibick of Buffalo, New York, who was charged with assault on a police officer and robbery. He was released from jail to await his trial with his parents, but he was not allowed to use social media.
According to court documents reviewed by Insider, the attorney for the man asked the judge to allow him to use some websites to search for a job and to try to befriend members of the opposite gender.
Michael Fanone, the DC police officer who was knocked unconscious and suffered a heart attack during the riot, is accused of stealing the badge of another officer. He claimed that former President Donald Trump was ultimately responsible for the insurrection.
After his arrest in March, Sibick asked to be held in solitary confinement to avoid a "cult-like" environment in the wing of the jail where January 6 defendants would be held.
In October, the US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered the home confinement of Sibick, specifying that he must stay out of Washington, not attend political rallies, not use social media or watch political talk shows on cable news.
"He is not seeking to use any social media application for any prohibited purpose, such as for political engagement, news reading, or any other activity that would violate not only the letter, but the spirit of his release conditions," attorney Stephen Brennwald wrote in the court documents.
Mr. Sibick knows that if he were to meet someone on a social media site, he would not be able to leave his home for the purpose of going to dinner or participating in other events." He feels the need to establish some sort of connection with someone if he can.
