Teen charged for cyber threats against high school

A 16-year-old girl has been charged with making cyber threats against high school students in Elliot Lake, said the Ontario Provincial Police.

The teen was arrested April 24 following what police called a “complex” investigation after ongoing threats were received through social media over several weeks, said OPP Sgt. Carolle Dionne. The threats were directed toward the students of Elliot Lake Secondary School.

“The situation escalated up until April 22, when police visited (Elliot Lake Secondary School) to follow up on the threats,” Dionne said.

On April 23, the school put in place a Code Green status and locked all outside doors and any entry and exit to the building was closely monitored. The Code Green status was lifted that same day.

Because the case involves a young offender, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and the matter is before the courts, the OPP won't release a lot of details about the investigation.

“We can't talk about the specific threats,” but that information will come out during court proceedings, she said. Police cannot divulge how man calls were received about the threats, or how many threats were issued.

The investigation involved the East Algoma and Sault Ste. Marie OPP detachments, the North East Region Crime Unit, the Investigation and Support Bureau and the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.

The suspect is charged with two counts of uttering threats, criminal harassment and public mischief. She is being held in custody pending her bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sault Ste. Marie on April 27.

Dionne said these types of investigations, where it escalates to a level where a police presence is required at the school, are rare in the northeast region.

“But we're not immune to it,” she said. “It started with cyberbullying, which is not new, and has been increasing everywhere.”

The OPP takes any threat to school and public safety seriously, and will work with stakeholders and provide necessary resources to assess and respond to these threats, said a news release from the OPP.

Anyone with information regarding the investigation should immediately contact the Elliot Lake OPP at 1-888-310-1122, or their nearest police authority. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.