Feds: Hoax victim targeted because of compromising photos of ex

Federal authorities said today that a Philadelphia man who was the victim of a nasty airplane hoax was set up by his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend because he had posted compromising photos of his ex on Facebook.

Police arrested Kenneth W. Smith Jr., 26, of Philadelphia, for calling police at the Philadelphia International Airport Thursday morning and reporting that a passenger by the name of Christopher Shell would attempt to board a Texas-bound flight with liquid explosives, court documents said.

Flight 1267 was recalled midair over Harrisburg and ordered to land in Philadelphia.

Shell was taken off the plane and not found to be in possession of any explosives.

During interviews with the FBI in Philadelphia, Shell told authorities he believed his ex-girlfriend and her new beau "Kenny" were behind the threat because he'd been exchanging hostile text messages with his ex and he and Smith had previous heated encounters.

After being cleared by authorities, Shell reboarded another flight to Texas. When his flight landed, Shell was arrested by authorities there on outstanding warrants.

According to the affidavit of probable cause against Smith, he and others decided to call in the threat to "avenge" the ex-girlfriend's honor because Shell had posted a compromising photo of the woman on Facebook.

When Smith placed the call to police early Thursday morning, he used the name "George Michaels" and gave a Frankford Avenue address, police said.