Facebook Brag Leads to Teens’ Arrest in Florida Bullying Case That Led to 12-Year-Old’s Suicide

Two Florida teens have been arrested and charged with felony aggravated stalking in correlation with the suicide of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick, who jumped off a concrete silo last month. Authorities ...
Facebook Brag Leads to Teens’ Arrest in Florida Bullying Case That Led to 12-Year-Old’s Suicide
Written by Josh Wolford
  • Two Florida teens have been arrested and charged with felony aggravated stalking in correlation with the suicide of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick, who jumped off a concrete silo last month. Authorities say that it was excessive bullying, both online and in-person, that led to her suicide.

    Two girls, a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, have been arrested as the main actors in the ongoing torment that led to Sedwick’s suicide. Although more than a dozen girls are thought to have contributed to the bullying offensive that took place over the year before Sedwick’s death, the two girls that have been charged are thought to have been the ringleaders.

    “According to witnesses, including a boyfriend of [bully 2] who had previously been Rebecca’s boyfriend, [Bully 2] had several arguments with Rebecca via Facebook, as well as verbal confrontations at school. During the incidents, Rebecca was observed walking away from [Bully 2] and not engaging, leading witnesses to determine that Rebecca was being bullied by [Bully 2]. [Bully 2] also reportedly bullied anyone who was friends with Rebecca. For this reason, some children did not want to be friends with Rebecca, out of fear of being bullied by [Bully 2],” says the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Witnesses reported that [Bully 2] sent messages to Rebecca, calling her ugly, telling her to drink bleach and die, and telling Rebecca that she [Rebecca] should kill herself. [Bully 2] tried to instigate physical fights with Rebecca on more than one occasion.”

    The bullying led Sedwick to be hospitalized after slitting her wrists back in December of 2012. Days before she jumped to her death, Sedwick reportedly changed one of her online screennames to “That Dead Girl” and messaged a boy saying, “I’m jumping.”

    Hours later, Sedwick went to an abandoned concrete plants and jumped off a silo.

    According to the Orlando Sentinel, police decided that they had enough to charge the girls after the 14-year-old posted this on Facebook:

    Yes ik [I know] I bullied Rebecca nd she killed her self but IDGAF [I don’t give a (expletive)]

    “That post was the tipping point,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “She forced this arrest.”

    Note: We’ve decided to withhold the names and images of the accused because of their extremely young age
    Image via Polk County sheriff’s Office, Facebook

    Get the WebProNews newsletter delivered to your inbox

    Get the free daily newsletter read by decision makers

    Subscribe
    Advertise with Us

    Ready to get started?

    Get our media kit