A freshman student, formerly of Rutgers College, is already in trouble for using a webcam to spy on his roommate’s encounter with another man. Now New York Criminal Lawyers have learned he has been formally charged with a hate crime, along with deleting tweets and texts so as to avoid further implication.
The 19-year-old was indicted in Middlesex County on a total of 15 counts, including bias intimidation and invasion of privacy in the series of events that ended with the suicide of an 18-year-old student in a case that began a national discussion on bullies and the treatment of people of differing sexual orientation.
The 19-year-old student was already dealing with invasion of privacy charges, along with another student at Rutgers. It was a process of months for prosecutors to present the case that the defendant was in fact targeting another student due to his sexual orientation and that this was the basic reason that he broadcast his roommate’s sexual encounter over the internet.
New York Criminal Lawyers note the charges do not specifically say the spying the 19-year-old allegedly engaged in was the cause of his roommate’s death. After the video spread among the other students, the defendant’s then-roommate committed suicide by jumping from the George Washington Bridge.
The most serious of the bias charges could cause the defendant to end up in prison from five to ten years. In Manhattan and Nassau County, these crimes are considered very serious and are treated that way.
A prosecutor in Middlesex County said charges against the young woman considered to be an accomplice to the defendant were not presented to the grand jury. It is unknown yet what course the woman will take – she may go before a grand jury to face charges herself, or she might help the prosecution in the case against the man she helped in the humiliation of another student.
Don’t let your rights be left in the dust when a New York Criminal Lawyer is available to assist you. It is truly within your best interests to call a New York Criminal Lawyer as soon as possible. Everyone has the right to a fair trial, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. The nature of the accusations is unimportant, in that respect. It is the job of New York Criminal Lawyers to ensure those rights are upheld for all of their clients. The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in New York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.