Rutgers freshman suicide after roommate broadcast gay sexual encounter online?

[jAZ]

Wow. Prank gone waaay wrong.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...gers_post.html

Rutgers freshman is presumed dead in suicide after roommate broadcast gay sexual encounter online

Wednesday, September 29, 2010, 5:42 PM
Kelly Heyboer/ The Star-Ledger



PISCATAWAY — A Rutgers University freshman appears to have killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate broadcast live images of the 18-year-old having a sexual encounter with another man on the internet, according to campus and law enforcement sources.

Tyler Clementi, 18, of Ridgewood, is presumed dead after his car, cell phone and computer were found near the George Washington Bridge last week, law enforcement sources said. His wallet was found on the walkway adjacent to the New York-bound lanes. In a statement released this afternoon, Clementi’s family confirmed the suicide and said his body has not been found.

Dharun Ravi, 18, of Plainsboro, and Molly Wei, 18, of Princeton, were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy for setting up a camera in a dorm room on Sept. 19 and using it to view and transmit a live sex scene, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

Paul Mainardi of Woodbury, the Clementi family's attorney, said Ravi and Clementi were roommates at Rutgers.

Ravi's Twitter feed on that date referred to seeing his roommate have sex with another man in their room on the Piscataway campus, classmates said.

"Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay," Ravi said on his Twitter page in a Sept. 19 entry posted at 6:17 p.m.

Two days later, Ravi posted another entry directing his nearly 150 Twitter followers to iChat, an internet messaging service with a live video feed.

"Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it's happening again," Ravi wrote in the Sept. 21 post.

Ravi's Twitter feed has since been taken down. But the entries survived in a cached version of the page still available through Google's search engine this afternoon.

Prosecutors said Ravi and Wei set up a camera on Sept. 19 and broadcast live images of Clementi having a "sexual encounter." Ravi is also accused of trying unsuccessfully to broadcast a second sex scene Sept. 21.

The Clementi family released a statement this afternoon. "Tyler was a fine young man, and a distinguished musician. The family is heartbroken beyond words. They respectfully request that they be given time to grieve their great loss and that their privacy at this painful time be respected by all," it said.

"The family and their representatives are cooperating fully with the ongoing criminal investigations of two Rutgers University students," the statement said.

Clementi was an accomplished violinist who had received a college scholarship from the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra for his musicianship and leadership.
The violinist left a lasting impression with some in the Bergen County town, said Hiro Kagei, 17, who played in the orchestra with the teenager. A solo Clementi played in a concert last year "blew the audience away," he said.

"Now that he’ dead, it’s sad to think we won’t hear something like that anymore," Kagei said.

On the Rutgers campus, classmates described Clementi as quiet. At a mandatory dorm meeting called the day he was reported missing, only three students said they had spoken to Clementi since they moved into the dorm last month, according to students who were at the meeting.

Ravi and Wei — who were classmates at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North before enrolling at Rutgers this fall — did not respond to e-mail requests to comment Tuesday. Steve Altman, Ravi’s attorney, also declined to comment.

Ravi surrendered to Rutgers police Tuesday and was released on $25,000 bail, the prosecutor’s office said. Wei surrendered to the campus police Monday and was released on her own recognizance.

Under New Jersey’s invasion-of-privacy laws, it is a fourth degree crime to collect or view images depicting nudity or sexual contact involving another individual without that person’s consent, the prosecutor said. It is a third degree crime to transmit or distribute the images.

If the students are convicted on a third degree offense they could face up to five years in prison each under state law. Conviction on a fourth-degree crime could lead to probation or up to 18 months in prison.

[FAX]

I've known a couple of people (one who was a very dear and close friend) who have committed suicide, Mr. Hootie. My heart breaks for them and their families. The amount of pain and hopelessness that ultimately drives a person to that point is something that is undeniably sad.

Your opinion on this issue smacks of ignorance and, frankly, foolishness.

FAX

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That's because you're an idiot.

Ok...

we'll revisit this when the sentencing/plea goes down...

I guarantee no jail and no felony.

Wanna bet?

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by The Meat Dragon

of course, can't disagree...

but did you ever do anything immature when you were 18?

Sure...they really crossed a line and I bet both of them feel terrible and have incredible remorse...I bet they are extremely rational people...just stupid kids.

When we were kids we'd prank call the unpopular girls and torment them...looking back on it...wow...we were terribly immature!

but really...

do you think these two deserve prison time?

If the dude just reported them rather than off himself and pressed charges...

Do you really think they would have gotten anything more than a misdemeanor and maybe hit with a civil suit?

I am almost willing to bet when this dude lawyers up two things will happen...

A) The charges against the girl will be dropped...and
B) He'll get nothing more than strict probation and a Class A misdemeanor...

and I'd almost bet the lawyer can spin the whole "his room, his webcam" defense...

The guy who taped Erin Andrews is a perfect example of taping someone without his or her consent. It is illegal, and they should be charged for violating the law, regardless of their intent.

And... like I stated earlier, we know what their intent was. So it should be a harsher sentence.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by FAX

I've known a couple of people (one who was a very dear and close friend) who have committed suicide, Mr. Hootie. My heart breaks for them and their families. The amount of pain and hopelessness that ultimately drives a person to that point is something that is undeniably sad.

Your opinion on this issue smacks of ignorance and, frankly, foolishness.

FAX

I admit...I lack sympathy a lot of the time...sometimes I don't realize how fortunate I am...I understand that is one of my (several) flaws...

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

Well, breaking privacy laws can be viewed harmful for society. Everybody is entitled to their private time and if someone wants to keep something a secret (given it won't cause harm to another member of society), it is their right do so.

Agreed. But let the punishment fit the "crime." Someone commiting suicide as a result of one's stupid actions, should not be a emotional justification to increase the punishment for something less serious than drunk driving, for example....an offense for which the punishment is much less severe than what most here, it seems, would like to see given to these two idiots.

[vailpass]

Sensitive little sockcucker wasn't he?

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by Dante84

The guy who taped Erin Andrews is a perfect example of taping someone without his or her consent. It is illegal, and they should be charged for violating the law, regardless of their intent.

And... like I stated earlier, we know what their intent was. So it should be a harsher sentence.

Don't you think there is a difference between taping someone in their private hotel and taping someone in your own room?

Do you think people should be able to place hidden nanny-spy cameras in their home to make sure the babysitter isn't abusing or ignoring your children?

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by The Meat Dragon

Would this be news if dude doesn't commit suicide?

If the dude pressed charges but was still alive, what would the punishment be?

Just so you know, the charges would be the same as they probably will be now:

Under New Jersey’s invasion-of-privacy laws, it is a fourth degree crime to collect or view images depicting nudity or sexual contact involving another individual without that person’s consent, the prosecutor said. It is a third degree crime to transmit or distribute the images.

If the students are convicted on a third degree offense they could face up to five years in prison each under state law. Conviction on a fourth-degree crime could lead to probation or up to 18 months in prison.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by The Meat Dragon

Ok...

we'll revisit this when the sentencing/plea goes down...

I guarantee no jail and no felony.

Wanna bet?

Well now you're mixing suppositions.

Yes, there's a good chance this gets plead down. It's a basic tennant of criminal prosecution. The prosecutors don't have the resources to push this thing to its conclusion and the parents will likely be able to get a defense attorney that hangs enough paper to chase the prosecutors out of the case.

But the "his webcam, his room" defense has nothing. The more serious offense is for public transmission and the kids statements on Twitter make it clear this wasn't 'surveillance'.

His attorneys will simply overwhelm the prosecutor's office and plea out. Happens everyday.

[Buck]

If I was the gay kid, instead of committing suicide, I would have bought a shotgun and imprisoned the roommate and scared the shit out of him / made him shit his pants. He couldn't do anything afterward except move out because he'd get in trouble if anyone found out what he did.

Or he would kill you and it would end in the same way.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by The Meat Dragon

I admit...I lack sympathy a lot of the time...sometimes I don't realize how fortunate I am...I understand that is one of my (several) flaws...

But it's not like you can't empathize either, man. You're putting yourself in Ravi's shoes. Try and put yourself in the other kid's shoes and imagine you had something extremely embarrassing to you to hide and someone found out and made it public while having a good laugh about it. Shit is ****ed up, man, there's no other way to put it.

[LaChapelle]

What we have in life is our names
if we feel we have shamed our family's name
don't underestimate the power of that shame

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Dante84

The guy who taped Erin Andrews is a perfect example of taping someone without his or her consent. It is illegal, and they should be charged for violating the law, regardless of their intent.

And... like I stated earlier, we know what their intent was. So it should be a harsher sentence.

Well...

Dude was taping his roommate who was requesting the room to himself etc. etc. etc.

I'm sorry man...I don't consider myself homophobic...but I definitely wouldn't want a bunch of gay sex going down in my dorm room when I wasn't there...in fact, it would gross me out and I would definitely transfer/request a different roommate...

If this dude was so ashamed of who he was he shouldn't be having gay sessions in his dorm room when he has a random roommate...maybe he should have requested his own dorm room and paid the extra $$$$ since he was already on scholarship anyways...

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

Just so you know, the charges would be the same as they probably will be now:

and when Mr. Ravi lawyers up...

Two things will happen (unless the media gets in the way and turns it into a career case)...

1. Charges will be dropped against the girl.
2. A plea offer will be made.
3. The dude will get probation.

[Hootie]

Fine 3 things