Rugby league legend Mark Geyer still may proceed with litigation against internet trolls

Facebook has defended its reporting tools following the removal of a controversial page that published false claims about the daughter of rugby league legend Mark Geyer being involved in the Penrith sex tape scandal.

• SHUT DOWN: Controversial Facebook page shut down

• STOOD DOWN: May charged by police

The controversial Facebook page that published false claims about the daughter of rugby league legend Mark Geyer being involved in the Penrith sex tape scandal has been taken down.

It comes less than 24 hours after Geyer vowed to launch legal action over the defamatory content that slurred his 22-year-old daughter Montanna.

NRL Memes posted an image of the alleged Tyrone May sex tape and incorrectly claimed the woman involved was Geyer.

The site, which was responsible for the “Big Papi” sex tapes involving Canterbury forward Dylan Napa, had 300,000 followers before it was taken down.

A Facebook spokeswoman on Wednesday said the page was subsequently removed for violating the company’s “community standards”.

Facebook Australia’s public policy director Mia Garlick has labelled the situation “tragic”.

“We have reporting tools built in around the site to try to ensure that people can let us know

Montanna Geyer was falsely implicated in the Penrith video scandal.

if that type of content is on our service,” she told reporters in Sydney.

“We invest in a significant reporting infrastructure to try and ensure we can remove that content as soon as we are aware of it.”

Panthers player May has since being charged by NSW Police over the distribution of two explicit videos and been stood down from playing by the NRL.

Former and current players declared the removal of NRL Memes from Facebook as a victory over online trolls.

“It was tasteless and vindictive against Montanna,” said former NRL star Greg Alexander, who is Geyer’s brother-in-law.

“You can understand the damage that it does to young people when they have stuff written about them that isn’t true. Someone has to be accountable.

“You can’t throw anything out there without any repercussions or without any thought for the people you are writing about, most of which is bulls..t.

“If you were put in that position, you’d want to get hold of the bloke that did it. MG was irate, which is understandable, as anyone would be. As a parent, you always want to protect your children.

The NRL Memes page was taken down on Wednesday.

“It does make you think about someone put in MG’s position who has no recourse. MG has an avenue and is someone well known. He can get his point across or Montanna’s point across.

“You’d hate to be someone who had no avenue to fight back, a battler.”

Panthers Group CEO Brian Fletcher said Geyer’s actions could help stop the “rot”.

“It’s been great what Mark Geyer has done,” Fletcher said.

“It would be good to get to the bottom of all those people who hide behind these Facebook images and then write what they like about people.

“It can be so damaging. It is just terrible.

“You can just get behind the keyboard and say what you like. This might be the first time you can crack someone down and hopefully it will stop all this rot.”

Geyer was not returning calls on Wednesday, but still may proceed with litigation.

He told The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday “I just want my daughter’s name cleared. These f…ers who live in anonymity have gotten away with too much for too long.”

May has been stood down. Picture by Brett Costello.

“You don’t want to see you child in pain and at time, especially when it comes from keyboard warriors like this. Enough is enough. I think society has had enough of trolls. It’s time that someone holds them accountable.”

Panthers general manager, Phil Gould, has been left gutted by the Panthers sex tape drama which implicated May, Tyrone Phillips and Liam Coleman.

Asked for his thoughts yesterday by The Daily Telegraph, Gould said: “I just need a few days before I respond to all that’s happened here. Thanks.”

A day earlier, Gould took to twitter to support Geyer and Montanna.

“Your daughter Montanna is one of the sweetest young ladies I’ve ever met. She has the most beautiful soul. The thoughtless and gutless coward who tried to spread this most scurrilous rumour, will be exposed,” Gould posted.

“Rest easy big fella. Give Monny a hug from all at Panthers.”