Illinois 16-year-old commits suicide hours after police tried to scare him straight

[milestogo]

The family of an Illinois 16-year-old who killed himself hours after officers confronted him about an alleged recording of a sexual encounter on his phone intends to file a lawsuit against both the school district and the police department. “I think they wanted to scare him straight,” Maureen Walgren told the Chicago Tribune. “Instead, they scared him to death.”

Her son, Corey, in January committed suicide by falling from the top of a five-story parking garage shortly after officers showed up at Naperville North High School to question him about illicit material they believed he had on his phone. They were investigating claims that he possessed and then played a recording of a consensual encounter with another 16-year-old student for his friends.

Corey had never been in any trouble at school, and he didn’t have a criminal record, but he was called down to the dean’s office on Jan. 11 where Naperville police were waiting for him. Corey had never been in any trouble at school, and he didn’t have a criminal record, but he was called down to the dean’s office on Jan. 11 where Naperville police were waiting for him.

They questioned him about having and sharing “child pornography” and allegedly threatened that he’d be put on the sex offender registry, according to the newspaper. While investigators did find audio of the sexual encounter, they did not intend to press any charges — they’d only hoped to make Corey understand the seriousness of his actions without affecting his record, according to documents cited by the Tribune.

www.nydailynews.com/news/national/teen-commits-suicide-police-scare-straight-article-1.3189296

A really sad story about a teen suicide that should never have happened.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. This is heartbreaking.

[luvMIdog]

2. So heartbreaking I think I just can't read about anymore young deaths for a while it's so depressing

[GitRDun]

3. Ugh!

A terrible tragedy.

On the surface, it doesn't seem to me like the school and police should be sued, but I am admittedly not a psychologist.

Would seem to be worse if they confronted him with the parents present.

I'd be curious if anyone had ideas on how to do this better...

[milestogo]

4. The kid had an audio only tape of consensual sex with a same-age girl.

He shared it with friends, which is the modern equivalent of teenage boy bragging.

Problem #1 For that he was threatened with being labelled a sex offender and creating child pornography. It just isn't fitting punishment.

Problem #2 This kid had supportive, loving parents. If they had been there with him, they would have been able to take him home safely and help him get through this.

Teenagers are not adults. They are moody and they are immature. Threatening them with adult punishment in the absence of parents is just way too dangerous.

[AngryAmish]

6. If the dean and the cop had any sense of honor

They would get a bottle of scotch and a revolver each.

Legally culpable? Unsure. Morally? Of course.

They shame their family.

[dlk]

5. In These Situations, Minors Should Have a Parent Present

Why wasn't a parent present in this matter? Too often, police take advantage of minors and abuse them when no parent is present. Whether he was guilty or innocent, our Constitution provides for a presumption of innocence for all Americans. I hope these parents sue. Police misconduct is out of control, often with complicit school administrators. At any school, when the police are involved, a parent should always be present.

[Phoenix61]

7. He should never have been questioned at school

without his parents permission/presence.

[Dawson Leery]

8. PIGS!

The Administrators and Coppers should have their bloated pension funds emptied for this.

This is also proof that we do not NEED any more cops.

Clearly they have nothing better to do.

[MedusaX]

9. Classic Bully technique... What school Dean would allow a minor/student to be intimidated by law

Enforcement officers on school grounds?

The Dean should be fired, at the very least.

BFD ... an audio recording?

Is this the most extreme criminal activity in the community?
And wTF is the comment about "scaring straight" as if intimidation of a minor
by law enforcement is okay
when they don't promptly commit suicide afterwards...

How about sitting down with the kid and explaining in a calm manner that
Creating or possesing or sharing an audio tape of a sexual encounter is not the best way to make friends & increase popularity...
Then explain the Legal side of the situation...
Here is what you COuLD be charged with
But we are not going to ... unless you do it again...

[milestogo]

10. Naperville IL is fundamentalist christian country.

The idea of teenagers having sex is probably horrifying to them.

[phylny]

13. It must have changed since we lived there.

We didn't experience the same fundamentalist vibe.

[hedda_foil]

14. No more. Naperville went for Clinton by a wide margin and just elected Dem city councilors

[milestogo]

15. Glad to hear it.

[ProfessorGAC]

23. Go A Little North and A Bit East. . .

. . .and you're still spot on. The East-West is still called "Reagan" something or other as it runs through DuPage.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. Well done, authorities!

Nice job.

[Initech]

12. Thanks, Police State!

[Iggo]

16. Cops. That's who they are. That's what thy do.

Beautiful, ain't it.

[JI7]

17. i'm still trying to figure out what the kid did that was wrong ?

[GReedDiamond]

19. Yeah, what is illegal about an audio recording of "sex sounds"...

...which may or may not be actual "sex sounds"?

And even if they were real, how is that "child pornography"?

I hope the school administrators/cops get sued into oblivion.

[petronius]

20. It's not clear from the article, but if the recording was made without the consent

of the other party, and/or if it was shared without the consent of the other party, then I'd say that's what he did wrong. And if that was the case, then intervention was appropriate (albeit not in this bungled form, of course)...

[GReedDiamond]

21. OK, but that's a far cry from child porn...nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. What the ever loving fuck.

They killed that kid.

[HAB911]

22. Expect more of this in the coming Theocracy