By Tim Binnall
A pair of Taiwanese men found themselves in trouble with the law following a misguided prank video wherein one of them impersonated an infamous demon and scared people on the street. The odd case reportedly occurred earlier this month in the city of Yuanlin. In recognition of the Chinese and Taiwanese tradition of Ghost Month, a period in which spirits are said to be free to roam the realm of the living, the mischievous duo decided to have a little fun but wound up taking things too far.
According to police, one of the men donned a costume depicting a notorious demonic woman found in Taiwanese folklore and set about walking around the city with the purpose of terrifying people. Meanwhile, his accomplice captured the shenanigans with his cell phone in the hopes of producing a viral video. Alas, their antics were understandably not well received by their victims, who reported the situation to police.
Thanks to an abundance of security cameras scattered throughout the city, authorities easily tracked down the duo and promptly arrested them. The pair were ultimately charged with violating Taiwan's Social Order Maintenance Act which prohibits “scaring another person by wearing a disguise or mask, or using other ways to a degree that may undermine safety." Fortunately for the two troublemakers, if convicted of the crime, they would receive a fairly light sentence of an approximately $950 fine or a mere three days in jail.