Teenager arrested in investigation into social media threats: GPD

GLASTONBURY, Connecticut – Glastonbury police said a 16-year-old boy was arrested Monday following an investigation into numerous threats posted on social media.

The teenager is charged with second-degree intimidation based on prejudice or bigotry, first-degree threatening, computer crime, identity fraud, second-degree disturbing the peace, second-degree harassment and first-degree false reporting of an incident.

Police said they learned from the city’s Youth and Family Services Department on June 11 about a profile page on Discord that contained a bomb threat against Glastonbury High School, death threats against African Americans and references to the Ku Klux Klan and Hitler.

To identify the owner of the Discord account, Glastonbury police issued multiple subpoenas for IP addresses, phone records and data from the Discord website, police said. Officers also worked with GHS school administration and security personnel during the investigation.

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Police said they concluded the Discord account owner was not a suspect but a victim after a 16-year-old illegally gained access to the account and modified the profile page to include the threats.

According to police, investigators also found that the teenager used the account to send direct messages containing additional death threats to others, naming specific African-American students at GHS.

The teen was arrested on July 22 after investigators identified him as a suspect, police said. Investigators also determined that the teen did not have access to weapons such as firearms or explosives and that the threats were directed at the discount account holder.

The parents of all victims mentioned in the posts have been informed of the threats and the investigation, police said.

According to police, the teenager was later handed over to juvenile court in Hartford.

In a statement released on July 19, Dr. Alan Bookman, superintendent of Glastonbury Public Schools, said a teenager behind a “threatening social media post” is a student at Glastonbury High School and is no longer enrolled in the town’s school system. He is not permitted to attend school events or enter school grounds.

RELATED: ‘Threatening social media post’ condemned by Glastonbury school board

MORE NEWS: Plainfield High School student arrested and charged after gun threat

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