23 May 2023 , 08:15
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A teenager known for his "prank" videos on TikTok and YouTube has been arrested after a clip of him allegedly entering a frightened family's home went viral.
The 18-year-old man - understood to use the username Mizzy on TikTok - was identified and detained last night after an investigation into the social media footage, which was captioned: "Walking into random houses".
It showed two young men approaching and entering a house in Hackney, east London without the permission of the owners.
The person filming is seen walking through a front garden and through the front door as an alarmed woman asks what he's doing.
She can be heard calling for her partner, who tries to get the two intruders to leave and says: "We've got kids."
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The man films himself briefly sitting on the family's sofa before finally leaving.
The video has been widely shared on social media sites (Tiktok)
The suspect frequently shares videos of himself online (Twitter)Scotland Yard previously said it believed the content of the video could amount to a breach of a Community Protection Notice imposed in response to previous videos posted on social media.
The footage and behaviour caused "widespread upset, distress and concern" in the community in Stoke Newington.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway of the Central East Command Unit, which is responsible for policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “I do not underestimate the widespread upset, distress and concern that these videos caused.
“Some people have referred to these as ‘prank’ videos, but I hope that this significant development demonstrates just how seriously we have been taking this investigation since this footage began circulating online.
“A number of these videos were produced, impacting on many different people and our investigation remains ongoing as we seek to build a strong picture of both the activity featured in the footage and impact on the public.”
A TikTok Spokesperson said: "Our Community Guidelines are clear that we prohibit content promoting criminal activity. In relation to this issue, we have banned accounts for violating these guidelines."