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.

[Donger]

Speaking of homosexuals, have you ever noticed that with female homosexuals, there almost always seems to be one of the couple who looks more masculine than the other. I was watching something a few weeks ago and they showed Ellen DeGenerate (sp?) and her "wife." I mentioned how masculine Ellen looked (short hair, wearing a suit, etc.) and wondered why. My wife said, simply, "because she's the man in the relationship."

That's weird.

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kotter

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

I didn't say that.

They should be punished for the crimes they committed. Whether the max is one year or five, they should get the max. On the scale of severity for their crime, they were on the high end.

I don't give a shit what the min or max is though.

[Hootie]

is she still dating that hot ass chick from Arrested Development? Portia De Rossa or something? That's probably not even close to her name...

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yes, I'm sure telling people the time/station to tune in for the next show was completely accidental.

This makes me dislike the guy even more.

This wasn't an accident, quit covering your ass. Admit you're a ****stain and take your punishment like a man.

Did Ravi have a right to monitor his own room to make sure his possessions were secure?

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Dante84

... They had full intent to broadcast this kid's private moments, as evidenced by his tweets and other postings.

For that, they deserve to go to jail.

Disagree.

But this site is full of irrational people...

Frazod would throw someone in jail for pissing in public...

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Did Ravi have a right to monitor his own room to make sure his possessions were secure?

Yes.

Was that what he was doing?

No. He stated his intent online.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Did Ravi have a right to monitor his own room to make sure his possessions were secure?

this would have been a great defense if not for the twitter posts...

he should have been smarter and said something like...

"broadcasting my room to make sure my things don't get stolen...maybe my roommate will do something crazy too!"

and then maybe he'd have a shot at getting everything dropped

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by The Meat Dragon

Disagree.

But this site is full of irrational people...

Frazod would throw someone in jail for pissing in public...

How? The kid typed out what he was doing.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Donger

Speaking of homosexuals, have you ever noticed that with female homosexuals, there almost always seems to be one of the couple who looks more masculine than the other. I was watching something a few weeks ago and they showed Ellen DeGenerate (sp?) and her "wife." I mentioned how masculine Ellen looked (short hair, wearing a suit, etc.) and wondered why. My wife said, simply, "because she's the man in the relationship."

That's weird.

I've known several girls who harbored a kind of "fear" of men. I always found that strange. I mean, many people find it difficult to "understand" the opposite sex, but some girls take that to the point of legitimate distrust and apprehension. I figure it's due to some childhood issue or something and how many fine lesbians are created.

FAX

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by The Meat Dragon

this would have been a great defense if not for the twitter posts...

he should have been smarter and said something like...

"broadcasting my room to make sure my things don't get stolen...maybe my roommate will do something crazy too!"

and then maybe he'd have a shot at getting everything dropped

You just proved my point.

So you don't disagree.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Dante84

You just proved my point.

So you don't disagree.

I disagree with the fact they should go to jail.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by The Meat Dragon

Disagree.

But this site is full of irrational people...

Frazod would throw someone in jail for pissing in public...

And the State of Missouri writes you a $100 ticket and puts you on the sex offender list. No joke.

So what's your point?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Did Ravi have a right to monitor his own room to make sure his possessions were secure?

Yes.

Did he have the right to record and publicly post his roommates private activity?

Absolutely not.

The lesser charge is supported by his own statements telling people when to watch. This was not a 'security' matter.

The more severe charge is supported, in fact based on, the public disclosure.

You really want to go down the road Hootie chose? It's an assinine hypothetical that is not supported by the man's words or conduct.

[Hootie]

but we live in a society where kids get arrested for high school fights...boys being boys

where 19 year old kids have to register as sex offenders because of the strong butthurt of parents of the 17 year olds that 19 year old is sleeping with...

seriously I know a dude who has 3 kids with the same girl and is a registered sex offender because he's black and his wife's father presssed charges against him when he was 19 for impregnating his 17 year old white daughter...

like I said...irrational people always trying to throw the book at anyone who makes a mistake

dude made a horrible mistake...used no judgment and was a dumb mother ****er...

but is he SUCH A DETRIMENT TO SOCIETY where you think he deserves a felony and a prison sentence?

REALLY?

REALLY?

I so, you are thinking irrationally...and the judge will agree...because I guarantee the dude doesn't even spend a day in jail, let alone prison.

[Chief Henry]

Originally Posted by Donger

Speaking of homosexuals, have you ever noticed that with female homosexuals, there almost always seems to be one of the couple who looks more masculine than the other. I was watching something a few weeks ago and they showed Ellen DeGenerate (sp?) and her "wife." I mentioned how masculine Ellen looked (short hair, wearing a suit, etc.) and wondered why. My wife said, simply, "because she's the man in the relationship."

That's weird.

We have a female couple here in our area....same way. The manly looking one is very manly looking too