Police in Florida say they have identified an 11-year-old boy who allegedly made about two dozen swatting calls and bomb threats that caused chaos at his school.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley said: Media Briefing Police said Thursday that with the help of the FBI, they were able to identify the perpetrator of numerous false bomb threats and active shooter reports.
“It’s time for people to understand how dangerous the internet is.”
After a 10-week investigation, police discovered the suspect was a juvenile living hundreds of miles away in Virginia.
“Every single incident has instilled fear in students, teachers and parents, leading many parents to keep their children home through the end of the school year,” Staley said.
The suspect tried to conceal his identity by disguising his voice on the phone.
“I shot my teacher in the head,” one person told a 911 dispatcher in the recording released by police.
When officers searched the boy’s residence and devices, they reportedly found more disturbing evidence.
Staley said the videos included “pet torture, decapitation videos and murder porn.”
Authorities say the boy received cryptocurrency to make the blackmail calls, and that the calls were made to members of the House of Representatives in Alabama, Alaska and Maryland as well as Florida.
The boy, whose identity has not been released, was being held in a juvenile facility in Virginia before being transferred to Florida.
“This boy, this defendant, this person’s age is described as sad and disturbing,” State Attorney RJ LaRizza said, “but it’s enlightening. It’s time for people to understand how dangerous the internet can be.”
The boy faces numerous charges, including 14 counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, 14 misdemeanor counts of disrupting a school event, a felony count of compulsory bomb reporting and one felony count of tampering with evidence.
The audio of the 911 call and the video of the press conference are WOFL-TV News Report On YouTube.
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