COURT HOUSE – Three juveniles and one adult have been arrested in three separate investigations involving the use of social media to send threatening messages involving schools, County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor, Chief Christopher Leusner of the Middle Township Police Department, Chief William Mastriana of the Lower Township Police Department, and Captain Robert Sheehan of the Cape May Police Department announced in a June 9 release.
On June 8, Cape May City Police Department received information that a possible threat to an unnamed school had been posted on social media. Detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit assisted in tracing the origin of the social media post to Christopher Goodwin, 22, of Rio Grande. Goodwin allegedly posted a message on Twitter that made reference to shooting a school. Goodwin was charged with false public alarm, a crime of the third degree, and was released with a summons pending court proceedings.
In a separate incident June 7, the administration at the Cape May County Technical School was notified by a concerned parent that two students at the school were using social media to threaten a third student. The school immediately contacted the Middle Township Police Department and a joint investigation was initiated by detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Major Crimes Unit of the Middle Township Police Department.
The follow-up investigation revealed that the two juveniles conspired to take a photo depicting one of the juveniles with a handgun and two rifles and subsequently sent this photo over Snapchat to a fellow student with a threatening caption added.
Both juveniles were arrested and charged on June 8 with possession of a firearm by a minor, a crime of the fourth degree. One of the juveniles was also charged with terroristic threats, a crime of the third degree. Both juveniles were issued juvenile complaints pending court proceedings.
In a third incident that occurred June 6, a student from the Richard Teitelman Middle School in Lower Township was involved in posting a picture on Snapchat and Facebook with a caption that made reference to shooting a school. The juvenile student involved in this investigation was subsequently identified and later charged on June 8 with false public alarm, a crime of the third degree and issued a juvenile complaint pending court proceedings.
Prosecutor Taylor said threats made involving schools are a matter to be taken seriously and the Prosecutor’s Office will prosecute individuals involved in making these threats to the fullest extent of the law.
Prosecutor Taylor also urges anyone who has information concerning threats to schools or students or any other illegal activity to contact the Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135, or the Middle Township Police Department at 609-465-8700 or text TIP MTPDTIPS followed by your message to 888777 or text through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on the anonymous tip.
Prosecutor Taylor commended the cooperative efforts between the schools involved, the members of the Prosecutor’s Office, Middle Township, Lower Township, and Cape May police departments who assisted in these investigations.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. This report is based on information received from the Prosecutor’s Office.
