Recently, a verdict was rendered in the cyber bullying case involving a former Rutgers University student. On March 16, a New Jersey jury found Dharun Ravi guilty of numerous charges, including bias intimidation, hindering apprehension, witness tampering, and tampering with physical evidence. These convictions could place Ravi in jail for up to ten years. Ravi might also be deported after he completes his sentence.
Dharun Ravi was found to have viewed webcam footage of his roommate, Tyler Clementi. The footage captured Clementi having an intimate encounter with another man. Ravi then tweeted he saw his roommate kissing another man. Days later, Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River.
CNN legal analyst Paul Callan calls the verdict “unprecedented,” adding that the verdict “sends a message to people across the rest of the country about the potential consequences of unauthorized webcam use.” Rutgers University released this statement after the verdict. “This sad incident should make us all pause to recognize the importance of civility and mutual respect in the way we live, work and communicate with others.”
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Too many inaccuracies in one paragraph: “Dharun Ravi recorded” – nothing was ever recorded – “webcam footage of his roommate, Tyler Clementi. The footage captured Clementi having a sexual encounter” – a few moments of kissing was viewed, though that does not change the intention – “with another man. Ravi then tweeted through his Twitter account, that he saw his roommate kissing another man. After Clementi found out that Ravi spied on him with a webcam and posted a Twitter message of the event, Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge and into the Hudson River.” – Atrocious! After Clementi found out, he approached Ravi and asked for another evening of private room use with the same male partner, and went ahead and disconnected the computer this time – hardly the kind of pluck and planning that you would expect from someone being harassed. After seeing a second tweet, seemingly an invitation for a ichat conference around the webcam that never did happen, Tyler complained to his RA, asked for a change of room, and then proceeded to write a suicide note and calmly jump off the GW bridge. The contents of the suicide note are to this date undisclosed by Tyler’s parents and the prosecution.
Please be careful when reporting about a trial where the sentence is yet to be announced. A young life is still at stake.
Thank you for your comments. It is true that Ravi did not record Clementi’s encounter. Please see the correction.