Georgia Injury Lawyer Blog
Police arrested a 14-year-old New Jersey City boy for allegedly threatening two 12-year-old boys on Facebook by threatening to kill and hurt them, calling them “gay” and “fat” and stating to one boy that he would tie him to a pole, attach a rope and hook to the boys stomach, tie it to a car and drive off tearing off his body. He allegedly did all this because he believed they were interested in his girlfriend.
The fourteen year old now faces charges of harassment and making terroristic threats.
According to the prosecutor, he used fake screen names on Facebook to threaten one victim, using a second and third name after the first was blocked. Shockingly, investigators do not believe he knew the boys personally.
How and why was this bully arrested? The twelve year old boys finally told their parents about the threatening messages the past several months and the parents called the police. The police, after executing a search warrant with the cyber crimes unit, arrested the fourteen year old who was processed and released to his parents.
It will be up the prosecutor to decide whether to charge and try him as an adult.
When is it appropriate to call the police on a bully? This is a good question that parents often face. There is not an easy answer to this question as it can depend on a various number of factors. Certainly however, you should always call the police immediately if you feel your son or daughter is in immediate, imminent danger of physical harm. However, we recommend seeking legal counsel to discuss the possible options.
In one instance, if the school is not responding appropriately to protect your son or daughter from harm and your child has been assaulted physically or incessantly threatened with violence, one of the many options a parent has is to consider pressing charges with the police by going straight to juvenile justice.
We cannot reiterate enough, it is always best to seek legal advice. At Williams Oinonen LLC we offer paid legal consultations for parents who are dealing with their son or daughter being bullied in school. The purpose of these consultations are not to necessarily retain legal counsel. Rather, they are to equip yourself with the facts and arms yourself with education to empower you to help your child.
In these consultations we first listen to the facts of your case. We then explain to you what the law in Georgia says about bullying and how it applies to the facts and circumstances of your son or daughter’s situation. We then discuss all the possible various legal options are (everything you could do). Finally, and most importantly, we discuss and provide practical recommendations as to everything you should do to achieve the goals .