With most cases, hard evidence is found when police or investigators search the offender’s home or near a place the crime occurred.
However, with the evolution of technology, evidence can be found through a variety of avenues. All hard evidence collected in a recent rape case against two young men were discovered entirely through the use of technology and social networking sites.
According to a CNN news report, last August two Steubenville high school students Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16, were arrested and charged with the rape and kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl just a week after the crime had been committed.
Upon investigation, the police department was able to gather a significant amount of evidence through video recordings on a cell phone, YouTube, and a commonly used social networking website, Twitter.
Sophomore mathematics major Chelsea Lemont said, “Twitter and other social networking websites are used so much and seen by so many people that it would be very hard for anyone to expect to hide and get away with a crime like this.”
A group of students from the high school threw a party to celebrate the success of a recent football scrimmage in which scouts were looking at individual players on the team. Although underage, the party was supplied with alcohol.
A 16-year-old female, who has remained nameless was severely intoxicated and fell unconscious. Mays and Richmond were recorded and photographed, by their peers, swinging the unconscious young woman back and forth and sexually assaulting her.
Mays and Richmond as well as other teens at the party were casually posting tweets and sending detailed text messages to their friends about the incident. Another teen who was not present at the scene, made a 13 minute long YouTube video making fun of the situation.
Senior biology major Nicolas Rashall said, “The boys should have had way more respect for themselves and the 16-year-old considering she is one of their peers.”
Last week’s trial resulted in the conviction of both Mays and Richmond.
However, many are questioning what type of legal action, if any, will be taken against the peers who witnessed the crime.
For law officials, it is pertinent to determine whether or not the others were aware the incident was in fact a crime. Also, the teens’ culpability must be examined, because the teenage brain has not fully developed and their knowledge of what determines a criminal act is limited.
Junior music major Qwi Massingill said, “Anything that you post on the Internet can be deleted, but it can still be viewed by others. Be careful about what you post because it may come back to haunt you.”
It should be duly noted that with ever-evolving technology and growing popularity of social networking websites, the weight it holds is even greater. A person’s responsibility for what is posted may hold more weight now than ever, especially as it relates to criminal activity.