Two 12-year-olds have been charged with cyberstalking in connection with the death of a middle school student in Panama City Beach, who committed suicide two weeks ago.
The arrests came as the result of an investigation by Panama City Beach Police into the mitigating circumstances around her death on Jan. 10. According to a news release, PCBPD was made aware of potential cyberbullying against the child, which led them to examine several cell phones and social media accounts.
Through that investigation, PCBPD developed two 12-year-old suspects, who were then interviewed and allegedly confessed to engaging in cyberbullying conduct.
A male and female were charged.
PCBPD said in a statement that their investigation did not reveal that cyberbullying was the sole cause of the girl’s death, just that it was occurring at the time of her death. An official ruling on her cause of death has not yet been released by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Cybercrimes can be difficult to understand, and if you’re a parent and have a child facing criminal charges, you are probably concerned about what to do to be proactive in your child’s defense. A conviction could change your child’s life forever. If your child has been arrested or is under suspicion for cyberstalking or cyberbullying, don’t hesitate to contact our Florida Juvenile Crimes Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton. We will work to protect your child’s future and freedom.
Cyberbullying involves communications via the internet , through text messages or any other electronic communications. These crimes have drastically increased with modern technologies becoming more common, including emails, texts, blogs, and social media profiles, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
These charges are serious and even juveniles can be looking at time behind bars if convicted. Our Florida Juvenile Crimes Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help with your case. Call us today at 561-367-8777 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.