NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A Rutgers University freshman jumped off the George Washington Bridge after two classmates allegedly secretly livestreamed over the Internet his sexual encounters with a man in his dorm room.
Police discovered 18-year-old Tyler Clementi’s body on Sept. 29, reports MSNBC.com. Clementi jumped off the bridge on Sept. 23, a day after he left a status update on his Facebook page that read, “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.”
Police have charged two fellow Rutgers freshmen, Dharun Ravi — the victim’s roommate — and Molly Wei, both 18, with two counts each of invasion of privacy for taping Clementi’s tryst on Sept. 19.
Additionally, Ravi is charged with two counts of invasion of privacy for attempting to transmit another encounter to the Web two days later.
Ravi and Wei were classmates at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North before enrolling at Rutgers, reports NJ.com. Ravi was released from jail on $25,000 bail. Wei surrendered to campus police on Sept. 27 and was released from jail on her own recognizance.
It is a fourth-degree crime to collect or view images showing nudity or sexual contact involving another individual without that person’s consent under New Jersey’s invasion of privacy laws. It is a third-degree crime to transmit or distribute the images. If convicted on a third degree crime, Ravi and Wei could face up to five years in prison. The students can face probation or up to 18 months in prison if convicted on a fourth-degree crime.
