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.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

Also, this is nothing like the Facebook/text/school bullying case patteeu is talking about. In this case, there are clear laws already in place to deal with instances identical to this one.

The similarity is in the emotional reaction of the pitchfork-bearing mob.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Weak. The kids are taking a nap in the other room, which she can monitor via a webcam. Are you telling me that it's OK to monitor the nanny's bathroom visits because she's on the job?

Yes, for $29.99/month on NannyMcPee.com

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Not the same. Are you broadcasting the Nanny in the sexual act across the internet for everyone to see?

You decide to broadcast it to your friends who use the same nanny or who might consider hiring her.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Weak. The kids are taking a nap in the other room, which she can monitor via a webcam. Are you telling me that it's OK to monitor the nanny's bathroom visits because she's on the job?

No, but it'd be OK if the kids told their parents that the nanny went to the bathroom, right? Like Zach said, you're entitled to some privacy in a private residency (look at one of my earlier posts about not being able to tape guests in your guest bedroom). So if the kids can tell the parents she's boning on the job (unless she locks them away, and as a result ceases being a "nanny"), I don't see why they can't use a camera to obtain the same information.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by patteeu

You decide to broadcast it to your friends who use the same nanny or who might consider hiring her.

Can you publicly broadcast that, without them knowing?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Eh, the ability to do or not do something sexual in nature...or doing or not doing a job doesn't have a bearing.

That nanny would at the time have permission to be in a private residence. Therefore establishing her own privacy. Not being the home owner gives her limits on things she can and can't do but it doesnt necessarily strip her of the ability to be in a position of having an expectation of privacy.

She'll have a license to enter the premises.

That license will be for a particular purpose - for cleaning.

If she goes beyond the purpose of the license, she has no expecation.

If, however, she's the lessor of the premises, she has a full expectation of privacy. If she's given a license to both clean and **** on the coffee table (presumably this would need to be an express license as I can't imagine any scenario where one would be implied), she would then have an expectation of privacy as to the ****ing, but not as to making meth in the basement.

This is very very very very VERY simple and folks are coming up with really stupid hypotheticals in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable.

This area of law is so well settled that its comical. This kid has an expectation of privacy and it was clearly invaded.

It's like trying to teach math to a monkey.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

She'll have a license to enter the premises.

That license will be for a particular purpose - for cleaning.

If she goes beyond the purpose of the license, she has no expecation.

If, however, she's the lessor of the premises, she has a full expectation of privacy. If she's given a license to both clean and **** on the coffee table (presumably this would need to be an express license as I can't imagine any scenario where one would be implied), she would then have an expectation of privacy as to the ****ing, but not as to making meth in the basement.

This is very very very very VERY simple and folks are coming up with really stupid hypotheticals in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable.

This area of law is so well settled that its comical. This kid has an expectation of privacy and it was clearly invaded.

It's like trying to teach math to a monkey.

I think you have a better chance with the monkey.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Just putting this out there...were you caught in a compromising position with a member of the same sex at any point in your life?

Is this one of those "does your mom know you masturbate in her undwear questions"...

I have never been in a compromising position with a member of the same sex. You'll also note that I've pretty much avoided making this a gay issue when I could, apart from noting that it's the homosexuality that triggered the roommate into picking on the kid.

This isn't a gay thing. It isn't an asian/indian thing. It's a pretty cut/dry legal thing that applies to all genders, all orientations and all races.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I think you have a better chance with the monkey.

{re-reads vailpass's post}

I think you're right.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Is this one of those "does your mom know you masturbate in her undwear questions"...

I have never been in a compromising position with a member of the same sex. You'll also note that I've pretty much avoided making this a gay issue when I could, apart from noting that it's the homosexuality that triggered the roommate into picking on the kid.

This isn't a gay thing. It isn't an asian/indian thing. It's a pretty cut/dry legal thing that applies to all genders, all orientations and all races.

Sure, absolutely. Just asking. No worries. Whatever you say. Don't be upset.
You don't live by any bridges do you?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Sure, absolutely. Just asking. No worries.

For the record, your avatar kicks ass.

/civility

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

For the record, your avatar kicks ass.

/civility

Read my ammended post, then we'll see how you feel about your newfound civility.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Read my ammended post, then we'll see how you feel about your newfound civility.

I'll survive.

I have some insecurities, but my sexuality isn't one of them. I wish I could carry more than about 190 lbs on my frame, I'd be better at softball. I wish I could run faster, I'd have been a hell of a lot better at football. I wish I had another 4 inches to work with, I'd do a much better job of....okay, maybe some aspects of my sexuality. But being told I sleep with dudes, I don't really care.

If I were all that worried, I wouldn't be sticking up for the gay kid in this thread.

Fire away...

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I'll survive.

I have some insecurities, but my sexuality isn't one of them. I wish I could carry more than about 190 lbs on my frame, I'd be better at softball. I wish I could run faster, I'd have been a hell of a lot better at football. I wish I had another 4 inches to work with, I'd do a much better job of....okay, maybe some aspects of my sexuality. But being told I sleep with dudes, I don't really care.

If I were all that worried, I wouldn't be sticking up for the gay kid in this thread.

Fire away...

You're a lawyer. You will screw anything.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I'll survive.

I have some insecurities, but my sexuality isn't one of them. I wish I could carry more than about 190 lbs on my frame, I'd be better at softball. I wish I could run faster, I'd have been a hell of a lot better at football. I wish I had another 4 inches to work with, I'd do a much better job of....okay, maybe some aspects of my sexuality. But being told I sleep with dudes, I don't really care.

If I were all that worried, I wouldn't be sticking up for the gay kid in this thread.

Fire away...

I thought my avatar was funny too, stole it from a dude on another site,
Here is another good one...