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Chester HS student to be charged as a juvenile

Posted December 17, 2014 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

CHESTER -- Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker told the Herald Tribune on Thursday that he expected to file a juvenile petition regarding the case of the 16-year-old unnamed male Chester High School student.

"I have reviewed the full (police) report and will be drafting a juvenile petition," Walker said. "We will send a summons to the mom, dad and the minor and they will come into the courtroom."

Walker declined to elaborate on what the juvenile is being charged with. He said he anticipated the juvenile's first courtoom appearance to be "probably the middle of January."

"I don't feel comfortable elaborating on what I will be charging given that there is a juvenile and juvenile victims," he said. "I don't believe the juvenile court act allows me to comment on the specifics of that."

Walker did say the minor must be represented by an attorney.

"The subject of the prosecution will be one minor with multiple victims," Walker said.

Through copies of Facebook messages provided to the Herald Tribune by parents of the victims, the newspaper has determined at least seven victims between the ages of 10 and 15 years old.

At least two of of the victims received explicit photos from the juvenile and were asked to provide ones of their own. All of the victims are male.

"This case has so much attention to it, I don't want to slip up," Walker said. "I'll look into it and if I can elaborate, I will."

Of the parents involved in the case, only two - Eric Wright and Clinton Griffith - have chosen to speak out publicly thus far. Four sets of parents have filed complaints with the Chester Police Department.

"I have a plan as far as what I would like to see happen as far as remedying the situation," he added.

Parents of the victims were told later Thursday that the juvenile will be forced to seek counseling and have his internet access blocked.

They were also not told what the specific charges were, given the sensitive nature of the case.

"He's being charged, so I can deal with that," said Griffith. "He's going to be made to do counseling, so I can deal with that."

Griffith's 11-year-old son was involved in one of the conversations that included pornographic material, receiving two unsolicited photos of the juvenile's penis on Nov. 8 and Nov. 24 as part of a Facebook conversation that began Aug. 25.

"(Walker) mentioned counseling, mentioned blocking his internet access and he asked me what I recommended and I recommended him being banned from school functions where younger kids are there," Griffith said. "He said he would see what he would do in regards to that and contact him in three or four weeks to see how things are going."

It has been an emotional few weeks for the Griffith family, whose son was involved in one of the more graphic conversations with the juvenile.

In a pattern shown with other victims, the juvenile asked for a shirtless picture from the victim before the conversation got more aggressive and explicit.

"It's shocking, but it needs to be gotten out there," Griffith said. "I'm still upset with the whole thing, but there's nothing more we can really do.

"At least (Walker) is getting something out of it and they are making him seek help."

Wright said he was also contacted by Walker.

"Mr. Walker called me and I spoke with him for a few minutes," Wright said. "He really didn't want to charge (the juvenile) with a charge where he would be labeled (as a sex offender).

"He wanted to give him an opportunity to get help."

Wright said Walker also gave an impression he "had an ace up his sleeve."

"If (the juvenile) messes up, (Walker) would slam him with everything he could," Wright said. "If he messes up, a kid gets hurt. Parents have to be held responsible for their kids.

"That's why we're parents."

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