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.

[teedubya]

The gay dude should have beat the shit out of Ravi while he was sleeping with soap in a sock or something. Full Metal Jacket style.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by teedubya

The gay dude should have beat the shit out of Ravi while he was sleeping with soap in a sock or something. Full Metal Jacket style.

Then teabagged him while someone took a picture.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Dante84

I completely agree.

One of my family members is a district attorney. I have discussed cases like this all the time. One in particular:

Two teens snuck behind a guy at the ATM and told him they had a gun and that they wanted his money. The guy at the ATM had a knife, turned and stabbed one of the kids in the chest, and he later died.

The remaining kid ended up being charged with murder, because a person died as a result of the actions he set forth when he committed an illegal act.

Agree or disagree, there is precedent for DJ's point.

I'm not saying Ravi should be charged with murder, because he shouldn't. The suicide was a separate decision and act. However; he clearly established intent to commit the other crimes. For that he is guilty; because of the severity and clear intent, he should be sentenced more severely.

Wow, that's a strange jurisdiction.

It's the felony murder doctrine, but usually there's a grey line test. If a co-conspirator dies while you're in the act of committing a violent felony, that death isn't imparted onto you. I guess that jurisdiction didn't adopt that rule (and some don't have the felony murder rule at all).

If, however, they were robbing a convenience store and someone buying a gallon of milk at the back had a heart attack and died from the shock, then they're going to get charged with first degree felony murder for it.

If you're on the same side of the line as the person that died (i.e. a co-conspirator), they usually don't charge you. If, however, someone on the other side of that line dies due to your conduct in the commission of a felony, intende or no, you're pretty much screwed.

It's not quite the same as my example as it is an actual charge that's codified on it's own, but it's clearly another example of taking your victim as you found them.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Donger

This is borderline DC material, is it not?

These types of news discussions have always been allowed in the Lounge. Everything could be considered politics.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That's because you're homophobic.

Surely one can find homosexual acts repulsive without being afraid of homosexuals, no?

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That's because you're homophobic.

well whatever man...

Maybe I am...I've worked with tons of gay dudes/chicks and I've never had a single problem with any of them...fun people to party with, too...

but you're right...I'd never be roommates with a gay dude.

[Chief Henry]

At least now he won't grow up to vote for LIBERALS.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Donger

Surely one can find homosexual acts repulsive without being afraid of homosexuals, no?

kind of what I was thinking...

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Not exactly.

A.)He only successfully taped it one time. B.)His second attempt failed when the roommate knew about and removed the camera. C.)The first video didn't upset him enough to alter his dating, as he invited someone over again within 48 hours.

A.) That is a crime, he should be punished accordingly.

B.) Attempting a crime is a crime. He should be punished accordingly. At this point he has now classified himself as a repeat offender.

C.) His feelings have no bearing on whether or not the crimes, A. and B., were committed. Furthermore, if you want to use the kid's actions as a basis for whether or not he was affected by the crimes, then you have to accept both the invite situation as well as the suicide situation because they have equal bearing.

[teedubya]

If you think about it... this was in September... so, the gay dude may have JUST came out of the closet, and this could have been one of the very first times he had done gay stuff with a dude... to have it webcam'd and broadcast would have been horrifying to him.

Especially as a freshman... first month of school... Jeesh. I would have beat the living shit out of Ravi if I were him. And if I were to commit suicide, I'd of made sure that Ravi saw the promised land before I offed myself.

[Red Dawg]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

They will slap him with a felony and offer him county time if he complies. He still ****ed up his whole life on this stupid cruel prank. I rememer when you used to have to kill someone or rob a bank to get those felonies. They hand them out like chiclets now.

I love chiclets.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by teedubya

If you think about it... this was in September... so, the gay dude may have JUST came out of the closet, and this could have been one of the very first times he had done gay stuff with a dude... to have it webcam'd and broadcast would have been horrifying to him.

Especially as a freshman... first month of school... Jeesh. I would have beat the living shit out of Ravi if I were him. And if I were to commit suicide, I'd of made sure that Ravi saw the promised land before I offed myself.

of course you would...

you're the type that would take at least 5 down with you...

we already knew that though

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Originally Posted by Wickedson

American Pie is a movie. I can't believe some people on this board can't grasp that.

If someone filmed me having sex I don't know what I'd do.

Do what he did . Jump off a bridge.

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Wow, that's a strange jurisdiction.

It's the felony murder doctrine, but usually there's a grey line test. If a co-conspirator dies while you're in the act of committing a violent felony, that death isn't imparted onto you. I guess that jurisdiction didn't adopt that rule (and some don't have the felony murder rule at all).

If, however, they were robbing a convenience store and someone buying a gallon of milk at the back had a heart attack and died from the shock, then they're going to get charged with first degree felony murder for it.

If you're on the same side of the line as the person that died (i.e. a co-conspirator), they usually don't charge you. If, however, someone on the other side of that line dies due to your conduct in the commission of a felony, intende or no, you're pretty much screwed.

It's not quite the same as my example as it is an actual charge that's codified on it's own, but it's clearly another example of taking your victim as you found them.

To be clear, this wasn't in my family member's jurisdiction, just a national case that we discussed.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by Dante84

A.) That is a crime, he should be punished accordingly.

B.) Attempting a crime is a crime. He should be punished accordingly. At this point he has now classified himself as a repeat offender.

C.) His feelings have no bearing on whether or not the crimes, A. and B., were committed. Furthermore, if you want to use the kid's actions as a basis for whether or not he was affected by the crimes, then you have to accept both the invite situation as well as the suicide situation because they have equal bearing.

Well, then. Let's execute them on pay-per-view television....maybe drawn and quartered, even?