Ohio Rape Case Prompts Social Media Program or Do What you Want, just don’t get Caught.
The rape of a 16-year-old girl by two football players in eastern Ohio - a case brought to light by social media - is being used by a federal prosecutor to educate athletes in West Virginia about being responsible when texting and making posts on the Internet.
U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld called the combination of alcohol, smartphones and social media “extremely volatile” in introducing a program Thursday that will be rolled out this month at 11 high schools.
A judge in March convicted the two players of raping the West Virginia girl last summer after an alcohol-fueled party in Steubenville, Ohio, once in a moving car, the second time in the basement of a house.
The rape case “definitely played a role in causing us to think, ‘Who do we need to focus upon?’ ” Ihlenfeld told The Associated Press. “We thought, ‘Let’s start calling athletic directors and coaches to see if they’re interested.’ That investment of time hopefully will pay dividends down the road, not only because you hope the kids are going to stay out of trouble. Social media creates so many distractions off the field for coaches. Maybe we can help them avoid that situation as well.”