Shawn Kilums Alligator Sexual Abuse Rumour Debunked After Photo Linked To Unrelated Arrest

A viral story claiming that a Florida man named Shawn Kilums was arrested for allegedly tranquilising and sexually abusing alligators in the Everglades was fabricated, with fact-checkers tracing its origins to a satirical website and identifying the photograph accompanying it as an image of an unrelated Ohio man. Lead Stories debunked the claim in July 2018, while Myth Detector documented how other websites repeated the false allegations.

How the Shawn Kilums Alligator Abuse Rumour Began

According to Lead Stories, Huzlers published an article titled 'Florida Man Arrested For Tranquilizing And Raping Alligators In Everglades' on 17 July 2018.

The report claimed that 57-year-old Kilums had been caught engaging in sexual activity with a tranquilised alligator. It also alleged that police had used a Taser after he failed to follow instructions.

However, these details came from the fabricated article rather than a verified account of an actual criminal investigation. Lead Stories described the story as false and identified Huzlers as a website that publishes invented stories for entertainment and advertising revenue.

Photograph Traced to Robert Prosser's Unrelated Arrest

The photograph used to illustrate the allegations did not depict a verified suspect named Shawn Kilums. Lead Stories reported that the man pictured was apparently Robert Prosser, an Ohio resident, after finding his mugshot in a 2010 gallery.

Myth Detector also identified the man as Prosser, citing Snopes for the identification. Its report linked the photograph to Prosser's arrest in Ohio in July 2010 over the illegal cultivation of marijuana at his home near a school.

The image's connection to an existing arrest did not substantiate the separate allegations about alligators in Florida. Instead, the photograph was associated with an unrelated criminal case and did not establish that the alleged incident occurred.

Neither fact-checking report identified evidence connecting Prosser to the alleged incident involving Kilums.

How the Fabricated Crime Story Spread Online

Myth Detector reported that several Georgian-language websites published versions of the claim between 20 and 22 July 2018. These outlets presented the allegations as genuine news and used the same photograph while identifying the pictured man as Kilums.

The sites identified by Myth Detector included pia.ge, break.ge, dainteresdit.ge, siaxle.ru and Intermedia. Its review found that versions appeared within days of the Huzlers article and repeated the same central allegation and photograph. That repetition did not amount to independent confirmation, because the reports were traced back to the same fabricated source.

Myth Detector traced the reports to Huzlers, noting that the website's 'About Us' section described its content as satirical entertainment. Lead Stories also reported that Huzlers carried a disclaimer identifying its content as satire.

However, readers who encountered only the headline, description or photograph on social media could mistake the story for genuine crime reporting.

What the Fact-Checks Established

Lead Stories concluded that the alleged arrest and alligator abuse did not happen as described in the fabricated report. Myth Detector reached the same conclusion after tracing the story to Huzlers and examining the photograph's reported identification.

The fact-checks identified the report as fabricated and linked the accompanying photograph to Prosser's unrelated Ohio arrest. They did not establish that Kilums was arrested or that the alleged abuse occurred.

The Shawn Kilums rumour was therefore a fabricated internet report, not a verified Florida criminal case.