After admitting last week to persuading a Texas youngster he met in an online gaming community to commit suicide, authorities said that a Michigan teenager will spend the next two years on probation.
The Montgomery County Attorney’s Office released a statement stating that the unidentified defendant admitted guilt to two counts of harassment leading to death and aiding suicide in a plea deal that took place on December 7 in a courtroom in Montgomery County, Texas.
The victim, who is a minor and whose identity is being withheld because of his age, committed suicide in January in Montgomery County, a region north of Houston, according to authorities. Authorities said the teen, who was 15 years old, shot himself in the head; a gaming headset was discovered on his person, according to reports from KHOU 11, Fox 2 Detroit, and Michigan Live.
According to the statement, the suspect and victim were both members of the Discord online gaming community and chat platform, which led to a further investigation by the Montgomery County Constable Precinct 3. The accused allegedly “instructed” and “harassed” the victim into taking her own life, according to the prosecution.
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Stuart Hughes, the prosecutor for Montgomery County, told KHOU 11 that the investigators were able to track down the 16-year-old suspect—who resided in Allen Park, Michigan—more than 1,000 miles away—after speaking with members of an online gaming network that extended across several states.
Montgomery County Precinct 3 public information officer Lt. Ken Washington told Fox 2 Detroit, “Some of the ramifications that kids don’t understand is that there is someone on the other end of the phone.” I couldn’t agree more.
According to the press release from the prosecution, the juvenile offender will be subject to probation until he or she becomes 18. He was given a number of conditions, including the following: a psychosocial evaluation, a prohibition on internet-connected devices and games, and a campaign to raise awareness about suicide.
