Two Girl Students Face Charges for Tampering School Computer

Officials imposed strong penalties on two students in the Edgewood City School District for announcing a "snow" day.

According to the police, two high school girls broke into their school district's Web site to post a fake announcement that the school would be closed for a day owing to harsh winter weather.

The Trenton officials said the girls were dismissed from their classes and may bear criminal charges.

When the notice appeared on February 5, 2007 it puzzled many parents. Although there was no forecast of snow, the notice convinced that the students should remain at home.

Authorities pulled out the girls from their class on February 8, 2007 and Butler County Sheriff's investigators interrogated and filed charges on them.

The suspension was for ten days and the Butler County Juvenile Court asked the girls to appear in court in March this year.

Tom York, Superintendent of Edgewood City Schools said he saw the posting when he wanted to write his own notice that school would start an hour later due to an extremely cold bite. CNN published York's statement on February 11, 2007. He further said that he is the person to make such announcements so he suspected something was happening.

The names of the two Edgewood School students were kept confidential. The Juvenile Court put charges on them on February 9, 2007 and they faced suspension. It charged one of the girls, aged 16, with unlawful access to a computer and for tampering records. It charged the other, aged 17, for assisting in wrong-doing, said Sheriff's Sgt. Monte Mayer.

The security up-gradation of the school Web site was complete, said officials. To trace the culprit, they requested the company that monitors the Web site to check all entries made on that day. The company identified two computer addresses, got in touch with the Internet service provider and submitted the information at the Office of the Butler County Sheriff.

Officials of the Butler County Juvenile Court said if proved guilty, the girls could face sentences comprising of fines, community service and one year prison in a juvenile detention place.

Related article: THE SPAM MAFIA

» SPAMfighter News - 2/21/2007