Christopher “CJ” Precopia’s life took a drastic turn when he was falsely accused of a violent attack on his ex-girlfriend. What seemed like a normal day at work quickly turned into a nightmare for the 21-year-old, who was arrested without knowing why or by whom. It wasn’t until a simple selfie from his mother that the truth came to light and cleared his name.
On September 22, 2017, CJ was working at a lumber yard in Georgetown, Texas, when the police arrived and arrested him. He was facing a serious charge and didn’t know what was happening. “I had no idea who accused me or why,” CJ said, feeling lost as he was taken away in handcuffs.
The accusation came from his ex-girlfriend, Faith Cox, with whom he had a brief high school relationship. Cox claimed that on September 20, 2017, CJ had broken into her home in Temple and attacked her with a box cutter, leaving cuts on her face and body. Despite her claims, there was no physical evidence linking CJ to the crime, yet he was charged with first-degree felony burglary, which could have led to a 99-year prison sentence.
For the next nine months, CJ lived in fear, unsure if he would ever regain his freedom. But then, a casual selfie taken by his mother on the day of the alleged attack provided the critical evidence needed to prove his innocence. The photo, taken at a hotel about 70 miles away from Cox’s home, showed CJ with his mother and friends at 7:02 p.m. – just 18 minutes before the alleged assault.
This timestamp, along with the photo’s geolocation data, showed that CJ couldn’t have committed the crime. With this evidence, the charge was dropped, and Cox was later charged with filing a false report.
CJ’s story highlights the importance of digital footprints in modern legal cases and how a small piece of evidence can change everything.
