Fugitive agrees to surrender if his wanted poster receives 15,000 Facebook likes

A fugitive has agreed to turn himself in if his wanted poster reaches 15,000 likes on Facebook.

Jose Simms, 29, who is believed to be in New York, has seven arrest warrants and is being sought over failing to appear in court.

He has struck a deal with Torrington police in Connecticut and said he would surrender if his wanted posted is liked thousands of times.

Brett Johnson of the police department said he negotiated Simms down from 20,000 likes to 15,000.

"It will be difficult but is doable," Johnson wrote.

He also suggested that if anyone knows where Simms is hiding they could let police know and save the department some work.

The police department shared the wanted poster alongside an appeal to trace Simms on Facebook on Wednesday and it received 14,000 likes within 15 hours.

Maki Haberfeld, an expert in police ethics and procedure at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said Simms was using social media to manipulate both the news media and police.

She said police have no business negotiating a deal with a suspect, never mind one that involves likes on Facebook.

"It turns this into a joke," she said. "People will start looking at these various violations of law as a game."

Simms, said he is serious about the offer.

"I wanted to give them a little incentive for all the hard work they put in to catch me," he told the Associated Press.

Simms said the charges stemmed from domestic problems and he was tired of running from authorities.

"Looking over your shoulder every five seconds can cause a lot of stress," he wrote.

Simms said he is prepared to live up to his end of the agreement, insisting he is a "man of my word."