Joshua Gardner
Encyclopedia
The 5th Duke of Cleveland hoax garnered media attention in January 2006 after Joshua Adam Gardner (born September 4, 1983) allegedly misrepresented himself to the students and staff of Stillwater Area High School
in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota
as a fictional fifth Duke of Cleveland
from England.
When student journalists began researching Gardner's identity, they soon discovered his listing in an online Florida
database as a registered sex offender
based on Gardner's 2003 Minnesota conviction for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Students informed school authorities, who contacted police. Gardner was booked for violating the terms of his probation
in relation to his activities at the school, including contact with minor
s. Gardner's parole
officer recommended that Gardner serve out the 21 months of prison that had been stayed after his conviction in 2003. Gardner was incarcerated in Carver County
on April 20, 2006 and released on August 21, 2006 under "intensive supervised release" with supervision to expire on August 19, 2011.
.
Student journalists with the monthly Pony Express student newspaper became suspicious when he reportedly misspelled the name of the castle he claimed to live in. Their subsequent investigation included a call to the British consulate in Chicago and scouring the internet, both confirming that the Dukedom of Cleveland does not currently exist, having been extinct since 1891. The students then found an entry about "Caspian James Crichton Stuart IV" on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia
that had been marked for deletion and were able to derive from the deletion discussion Gardner's real name. Students subsequently found that in 2002 he had been convicted of 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct, a conviction for coercing
a 14-year-old girl to have sex.
The school's principal indicated that no problems had been noted resulting from Gardner's visits and that staff members had supervised Gardner's visits to the school.
, following allegations involving a 15-year-old boy in Chanhassen, Minnesota
, during the summer of 2005, several months before the Stillwater High School incident. Carver County prosecutors said Gardner used the same fake identity with the Chaska High School
student, who came forward after seeing media coverage of Gardner in January. Gardner was incarcerated in Rush City, Minnesota
with an expected release date of September 3, 2010.
Stillwater Area High School
Stillwater Area High School is a public school located in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota and is part of the Stillwater Area Public Schools - District 834...
in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota
Oak Park Heights, Minnesota
Oak Park Heights is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land...
as a fictional fifth Duke of Cleveland
Duke of Cleveland
Duke of Cleveland is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The dukedoms were named after Cleveland in northern England....
from England.
When student journalists began researching Gardner's identity, they soon discovered his listing in an online Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
database as a registered sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
based on Gardner's 2003 Minnesota conviction for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Students informed school authorities, who contacted police. Gardner was booked for violating the terms of his probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
in relation to his activities at the school, including contact with minor
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
s. Gardner's parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
officer recommended that Gardner serve out the 21 months of prison that had been stayed after his conviction in 2003. Gardner was incarcerated in Carver County
Carver County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 70,205 people, 24,356 households, and 18,778 families residing in the county. The population density was 197 people per square mile . There were 24,883 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile...
on April 20, 2006 and released on August 21, 2006 under "intensive supervised release" with supervision to expire on August 19, 2011.
Visits to Stillwater Area High School
The 22 year-old Gardner allegedly visited Stillwater Area High School in Minnesota three times, telling students he was 17-year-old Caspian James Crichton-Stuart IV, 5th Duke of Cleveland and expressing an interest in enrolling in the high school. Assuming an English accent, Gardner reportedly insisted on being called "your Grace", claimed he was 27th in line for the British throne and that he was friends with Prince HarryPrince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
.
Student journalists with the monthly Pony Express student newspaper became suspicious when he reportedly misspelled the name of the castle he claimed to live in. Their subsequent investigation included a call to the British consulate in Chicago and scouring the internet, both confirming that the Dukedom of Cleveland does not currently exist, having been extinct since 1891. The students then found an entry about "Caspian James Crichton Stuart IV" on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
that had been marked for deletion and were able to derive from the deletion discussion Gardner's real name. Students subsequently found that in 2002 he had been convicted of 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct, a conviction for coercing
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
a 14-year-old girl to have sex.
The school's principal indicated that no problems had been noted resulting from Gardner's visits and that staff members had supervised Gardner's visits to the school.
Subsequent charges
In July 2006, Gardner was arrested and charged on three sexual-conduct charges, including two feloniesFelony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
, following allegations involving a 15-year-old boy in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen is a city in Carver and Hennepin counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is southwest of Minneapolis. The population was 22,952 at the 2010 census....
, during the summer of 2005, several months before the Stillwater High School incident. Carver County prosecutors said Gardner used the same fake identity with the Chaska High School
Chaska High School
Chaska Senior High School is a public high school located in Chaska, Minnesota, a southwestern suburb of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. CHS is a 9th-12 grade school; About 1042 students attend CHS....
student, who came forward after seeing media coverage of Gardner in January. Gardner was incarcerated in Rush City, Minnesota
Rush City, Minnesota
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,079 people, 844 households, and 524 families residing in the city. The population density was 990.3 people per square mile . There were 908 housing units at an average density of 292.9 per square mile...
with an expected release date of September 3, 2010.
External links
- Joshua Gardner's entry at Florida Sex Offender Registry
- Entry at the Minnesota Department of Corrections Offender Database
- Wikipedia "Articles for deletion" page shown on CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
American MorningAmerican MorningAmerican Morning is the morning television show on CNN. It premiered in 2001.-About the show:American Morning is hosted by Ashleigh Banfield, Zoraida Sambolin & Soledad O'Brien. Others who appear regularly are Rob Marciano with the weather, Sunny Hostin on legal news, and CNN senior medical...