Community | September 29, 2010 | 97 comments

LGBT Rutgers Freshman Kills Self After Classmates Use Hidden Camera To Watch His Sexual Activity

source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/09/29/2010-09-29_rutgers_freshmen_busted_for_s...

Image
toyotabedzrock
A Rutgers University freshman killed himself after two classmates used a hidden dorm room camera to splash his sex life across the internet, sources told the Daily News.

A distraught Tyler Clementi, 18, left his wallet on the George Washington Bridge before plunging to his death in the Hudson River last Wednesday, sources said.

A Twitter post from one of the students accused of streaming the sexual encounter live on the internet indicated Clementi, a renowned high school violinist, was with another man.

"Roommate asked for the room till midnight," read the post from Dharun Ravi, 18. "I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."

The Twitter post went up Sept. 19 - three days before Clementi's suicide.

At least two people spotted Clementi standing on the south walk of the bridge near the New York side at 8:50 p.m. The Ridgewood, N.J., teen left no note before jumping, the sources said.

His body was not yet recovered. The teen's car was parked on the New Jersey side of the bridge.

"We are not talking right now," said the victim's father, Joseph Clementi, 54. "We are still in mourning. It's been a lot to deal with."

The stunning details emerged one day after authorities announced the arrests of Ravi and Molly Wei for cyber-voyeurism.

The pair used the hidden dorm room camera to stream their fellow student's sex session, officials said.

Clementi graduated in June from Ridgewood High School, where he was well-known for his musical prowess. His former classmates became aware of his disappearance late last week, said schools Superintendent Daniel Fishbein.

"We've had counselors available for students and staff for some time," said Fishbein.

Ravi, 18, was free Wednesday on $25,000 bail and co-defendant Wei, 18, was released on her own recognizance after the suspects surrendered to campus police.

The pair, who were high school classmates, were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy for the Sept. 19 broadcast, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

Kaplan had no immediate comment about additional charges in the wake of Clementi's death.

Ravi was additionally charged with two more invasion of privacy counts for trying to arrange the airing of a second session on Sept. 21, Kaplan said.

Ravi's lawyer was not available Wednesday for comment.

The top count against each suspect carries a five-year jail term. The two students were on the Piscataway campus less than a month before their arrests.

Ravi pulled down his Twitter account, where he also made a cryptic Sept. 21 reference to his roommate asking to have their room to himself.

"Yes, it's happening again," he wrote.

Authorities declined to say how Ravi, of Plainsboro, N.J., and Wei, of Princeton, N.J., knew the 18-year-old victim, or whether the illegal broadcast involved anyone else.

Rutgers students who knew the duo were shocked by the arrests.

Ravi was a ping-pong player and frisbee enthusiast, while Wei was described by one friend as a dedicated student from a strict household.

"She studies a lot," said the 17-year-old, who attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School with the pair. "She gets good grades. She never did anything bad."

Rutgers issued a statement saying it would not comment on any details of the case.

"The university takes these matters seriously and has policies to deal with student behavior," said spokeswoman Sandra Lanman. "Under federal law, the university cannot comment on specifics."
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97 comments // LGBT Rutgers Freshman Kills Self After Classmates Use Hidden Camera To Watch His Sexual Activity

  • ayipis
    • -3
      ayipis  
    • Image

    • http://gawker.com/140255/jon-stewarts-hilarious-funny-gay-jokes

      Jon Stewart's Hilarious 'Funny Gay Jokes'
      Not to step on Fishbowl's toes too much here, but did you catch The Daily Show last night? The middle-of-show taped bit was a Jason Jones segment on New Jersey's recent search for a new state motto. ("We'll win you over," for which a marketing firm charged $280,000, was deemed unacceptable.)

      Correspondent Jones interviewed acting N.J. Gov. Richard Codey, the man behind the search, and briefly confused him with his predecessor, Gay American Jim McGreevey. Learning that Codey was not, in fact, the gay governor, Jones glanced with dismay at a sheet of notes — "Funny Gay Jokes" was the headline — and then tossed them away.

      Thing is, if you pause your TiVo at the right moment, you can easily read that list of "Funny Gay Jokes." So, of course, we did. What are they?

      Our service to readers with inferior remote-controlling finger dexterity awaits after the jump.

      Funny Gay Jokes

      1. Two gay guys were in the shower together when one looked down and saw a puddle of white liquid. He said to the other man, What did I tell you about farting in the shower?
      2. Did you hear about the two homosexual judges? The kept trying each other.
      3. How can you make a gay man scream twice? **** [redaction Comedy Central's] him real hard. Then wipe your dick off on his curtains.
      4. Why did the little Greek boy run away from home? He didn't like the way he was being reared.
      5. Why do so many gays have moustaches? To hide the stretch marks.
      The funniest part? We wouldn't make those jokes — well, at least not No. 1 — here on some silly blog. The Daily Show, on basic cable? No problem.

      Pushing boundaries every day, that Jon Stewart.

      The Daily Show [ComedyCentral.com]

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
  • freecrack
    • +1
      freecrack  
    • ayipis:

      no one ever told you about the time and place bit huh.
      first you stood out as the only person lacking a moral compass on the wtc 9-11 comisseration post, but now sharing jokes about gay people.
      reverence, look it up

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • +1
      freecrack  
    • emsroses:

      hence the importance of acknowledging the suicides that result from feeling forced to live a closeted life.the right will always say they are just sick in the head, because gay is sick in the head to them. but sooner or later all these isolated incidents stop seeming so isolated.

    • 1 year ago
  • lvk104
    • +3
      lvk104  

    • This one is tough...I agree that the two idiots who chose to post someone else's private life over the internet should be punished, to the fullest extent of the applicable law.

      However, suicide is never caused by just one thing. There are many, many lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transsexual or transgendered people who, when forced so wrongly into the same situation, would not have committed suicide. For that matter there are probably heterosexual people who, upon discovering that a sexual encounter had been made public in this fashion, might do what Tyler did.

      I think this is tragic, and demonstrates on several levels many of the things that are wrong with our society in this day and age - a lack of respect for privacy, an undercurrent of homophobia that just won't go away (and in many cases, it's more like a riptide than an undercurrent...), a lack of genuinely helpful resources for persons contemplating suicide...but I don't think we can necessarily say that the two who taped and posted Tyler's sexual activities are 100% responsible. It requires a person who is already of a mind to contemplate suicide, before something like this can push them over the edge.

      And please, don't attack me for this - as I've said, I hope these two not only are punished legally but also spend the rest of their lives feeling ashamed and guilty for their actions and their role in Tyler's death.

      Mostly though, I feel so, so sorry for the family - no parent should ever have to loose a child, for any reason. I can't imagine the pain they're in, and in the midst of discussing the sociopolitical issues raised by this incident we should all take a moment to think of the people closest to Tyler who are now in an immeasurable amount of pain.

    • 1 year ago
  • sugarlilly
    • +3
      sugarlilly  
    • lvk104:

      i could completely agree with this post except i do not hope the two who did this "spend the rest of their lives feeling ashamed & guilty" because that's a given. i hope they take that shame & guilt and make it into something productive-- like starting a nonprofit suicide hotline for bullied teens or traveling to area high schools & community colleges to explain what they did and why it was wrong and why we shouldn't bully each other or some other socially productive action that makes the message very clear that what they did was not at all okay.

      further, sexuality is a beautiful, normal part of being human--homo-, hetero- or a-. what's sad is that our culture monopolizes this part of ourselves by showing us what is & isn't "normal"-- to the point that at being exposed as at all different, a young man killed himself! the man is most certainly greater than the town but Tyler wasn't allowed to know that.

    • 1 year ago
  • ii386
    • +2
      ii386  
    • lvk104:

      Well said, I agree 100%. If definitely takes a predisposition or instability to actually commit suicide over something like this. There were so many other options for him to take and he chose horribly wrong. I have contempt and anger towards those who selfishly choose to take their own life. My sympathies to his family--if only he could've seen the effect this single choice would have had upon his family. There are so many places to get help and to deal with this situation and he chose NOT to deal. This isn't the roommates' fault he committed suicide--he chose that. They must deal with what they alone did.

      What is scariest is that this is either occurring more frequently or it is being posted more--it would be most tragic if this increases copycats.

    • 1 year ago
  • bike10
  • ColleenRW
  • ix3bumblebeetuna
    • +2
      ix3bumblebeetuna  

    • R.I.P., Tyler. I'm a rutgers freshman and I'm very sad that I won't ever have the chance to meet you or listen to you play. One of my floor mates plays violin, too, and he practices it everyday. I guess it's not gonna be the same after hearing this story. I hope the family can find strength to cope with their loss.

    • 1 year ago
  • Haley35
  • texasgirl1122
  • budmayne
  • TheForeteller
  • tommytripper
    • +4
      tommytripper  
    • TheForeteller:

      really this is what you have to offer?

      you do understand the bible is a poorly written fairy tale, which has more to do with astrology and the procession of the equinox the just about anything else. but you can go back to your fairy tales, just please keep them to yourself the rest of us really do not care about your sky daddy and his zombie son, i mean sun, you know that thing that hangs low on the horrizion for three days between three stars which form the appearance of a cross annually and then makes a noticible shift of one degree up on the horrizion its a wonderful astrological annual event.

    • 1 year ago
  • insaintity
    • -1
      insaintity  
    • tommytripper:

      While yes, TheForeteller's comment is ignorant and full of obvious dogma, I would venture to say that your comment, too, has it's share of the dogmatic; not everything from "Zeitgeist" is pure or factual. Much is editorial.

    • 1 year ago
  • QuestionGeek
  • randallr01
  • Nephwrack
  • dreamsenvoy
  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  
    • TheForeteller:

      i think of all the varieties of sin, issuing divine judgement is pretty bad.i mean if worshiping another god makes the top ten list of things that are sin's, skipping alternate worship and superceding his judgement has got to be rediculously bad.
      maybe god makes people homosexual as his test deal he is so fond of doing to us, but at least this kid played within the rules, your decree homosexuality hell worthy.you dont leave it up to god, but assumed that authority.
      hey who knows maybe the sensative to a flaw gay kid will beg for clemency on your behalf.

      or maybe hell is a made up place, and your view of existance mirrors that of children?

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
    • -10
      ayipis  

    • pranks and jokes...satire...people going about without any sense of responsibility..

      sounds familiar???

      sounds like a jon colbert show..sounds like comedy central..sounds like south park..

      wonder where they get these kids get this..(wink)

    • 1 year ago
  • themotivateddropout
  • Nephwrack
  • Stever_B
    • +2
      Stever_B  
    • Nephwrack:

      Wow. I'd never heard of stormfront and a short visit just raped my mind. ayipis is mostly an idiot, but a left-wing, bleeding heart liberal, compared to those people.

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
  • ayipis
  • themotivateddropout
    • +1
      themotivateddropout  
    • ayipis:

      Hahaha that's so offensive I love it.

      The whole point of the character of Mr. Garrison, and Cartman, is they are people you should not aspire to be like. They say ignorant and offensively trashy things, the point being if you ever find yourself agreeing with the shit coming out of their mouths, you're just as big of a piece of shit as they are.
      Good example though.

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
  • freecrack
    • +1
      freecrack  
    • ayipis:

      im sorry you are unable to understand the depth of simple comedy.ya see when token is the name of the black kid on south park, it isnt an affirmation of that idealogy.it is a mockery of it.im sorry this is tricky stuff for you, but maybe tom and jerry is more your speed

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
  • Radical_Centrist
    • -2
      Radical_Centrist  

    • There is no doubt this was an egregious invasion of privacy, but the kids do not deserve 5 years in Prison as some have suggested. To my mind this was a College prank that was in VERY BAD taste. I think the kids should be suspended for a couple of semesters and call it a day. I am almost certain there was MUCH more wrong in this kids life than the streaming of his sexcapades on the Internet.

    • 1 year ago
  • ix3bumblebeetuna
    • +1
      ix3bumblebeetuna  
    • Radical_Centrist:

      I think you might be right, but being a college freshman myself, it I had lived in their hall, I would not feel comfortable having them back after what happened. And the sad thing is that I'm a Rutgers student too. I know what they're like and know that these students could've been anybody that I know or have yet to meet. It can be tough going to a place that's so diverse, because...well i think it's that we think we're all cool with each other being different and all which makes us feel less sensitive or i don't know what i'm saying right now, but i hope you understand what i'm trying to say.

    • 1 year ago
  • randallr01
  • Radical_Centrist
  • Radical_Centrist
  • freecrack
  • sugarlilly
    • -2
      sugarlilly  

    • for all we know maybe we should prosecute the guy he was making out with cause hey, maybe that fool blew this boy off & he jumped over heartbreak? what they did was obviously a huge invasion of privacy but i don't see the difference between someone who kills themselves over social shame or over a broken heart-- that person made the choice to end their own life regardless.

    • 1 year ago
  • randallr01
  • Atalanda_Cameron
  • themotivateddropout
  • ayipis
  • themotivateddropout
  • jimbones2045
    • +2
      jimbones2045  
    • ayipis:

      Where do you get your logic? Just because it's IN the movie doesn't mean it's being praised. It's being satirical. If you've watched any trailers for the movie you'd clearly see that by filming this kid trying to nail his GF many more problems ensue. The movie isn't about video taping your buddy losing his V-card, it's about what can go wrong while doing it.

    • 1 year ago
  • marboss
    • +2
      marboss  

    • The president of rutgers sent out an email to all the students but didn't state what happened, just that it was a suicide. I thought it was peculiar since there was another suicide last year but he didn't send out a formal message. It wasn't till just now that I understand why..

    • 1 year ago
  • Nick19
  • Proud_Progressive
  • QuestionGeek
  • Stever_B
    • +6
      Stever_B  

    • This story makes me as mad as I was sad about the Seth Walsh story. THIS was preventable. 18 year olds are not fully cooked, but at least should have the common decency and sense of propriety NOT to record someone having sex and broadcasting it on the internet. I mean, really, what ARE parents teaching their kids that lead them to think it's OK to act this way?? It's disgusting.

      I'm going to drop this link in again because I think it's an important, worthwhile project: http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=vCifjbni0LM

    • 1 year ago
  • riverratt50
    • -4
      riverratt50  
    • Stever_B:

      No one knows for sure what happened in either case so really have no business being, "shocked, sad, very sad story and was killed by society?" First off I am gay now and was in the past and will be in the future, BUT. When I was 13? no, I didn't know then and doubt that this Walsh kid did either, now grant it, (Uncle Purvie) might have convinced the kid he was gay when they were playing their late night games. And for the kid that was caught on cam in his dorm room. Who knows what really happened? Kid's play games on people in area's like this all the time. But if they did I'm sure there is a litigator that would love to have 33% of this kids "misery". Now, why don't you stop feeling sorry for people you know nothing about and start worrying about your own family and prepare for the coming collapse. Most of you folks have what, 3 maybe 4 days worth of food before you head for the market. Now that is laughable, shocking and saddening for the children you "Care so much about".

    • 1 year ago
  • Stever_B
  • EthicalVegan
  • TheForeteller
  • Stever_B
  • themotivateddropout
  • shanklinmike
  • EthicalVegan
  • Radical_Centrist
  • Stever_B
    • +2
      Stever_B  
    • Radical_Centrist:

      No. My suggestion was more along the lines of implying that "TheForeteller" would probably be ostracized by the community for making such a comment, but in the light of day, that's probably not true.... a little emotional last night over the needless deaths of all these gay teens.

    • 1 year ago
  • flyingkick
  • Nephwrack
  • freecrack
  • freecrack
  • freecrack
  • randallr01
    • +5
      randallr01  

    • This is a tragedy... Tyler Clementi is just the latest Gay person to be killed by Society. This must stop.

      I only wish I knew him so I could've helped. =(

    • 1 year ago
  • pukemnukem
    • -8
      pukemnukem  

    • Why is it assumed that that Tyler killed himself because if this? I mean, if he is so ashamed of being homosexual, is it far just to blame these two other people. I mean, sure they are accused of making his orientation public, but is it so humiliating for people to engage in normal behavior, that suicide becomes a viable alternative...I mean...shit, what does that say about our society in general.

      I think I am saying this wrong or at least coming off like an idiot...I just find it disturbing to think that homosexuality is seen as such a deviant behavior that suicide is preferred to being open about it.

    • 1 year ago
  • randallr01
    • +5
      randallr01  
    • pukemnukem:

      He was humiliated, and likely closeted to everyone. If you can't understand why someone would kill himself over this, then congratulations to you, because that means you don't know what it's like to grow up Gay in today's society (or yesterday's... or tomorrow's...).

      Hopefully this will change MUCH sooner than later.

    • 1 year ago
  • animalia_libero
  • pukemnukem
  • pukemnukem
  • QuestionGeek
  • freecrack
  • EthicalVegan
  • randallr01
    • +3
      randallr01  
    • antiutopia:

      Well, sir, the investigation should determine this. But even if the boy didn't kill himself due to the twitters or the videotaping, is making fun of homosexuals okay? Is merely exploiting homosexuals okay?

      I highly doubt that Tyler would've killed himself had this been a broadcast of him with a female. (THAT would've made him a star among his peers, you know.)

      You brought up an interesting hypothesis: He may have killed himself because his lover left him.

      OKAY, so think about this. If he's going to kill himself over his lover leaving, WHY THE FUCK is he having sex with someone else in his room????? If he's sooooo in love with your hypothetical lover, don't you think he wouldn't be cheating on said lover?

      My gut instinct is that you're just someone who opposes gays and is trying to throw a wrench in the story here.

    • 1 year ago
  • randallr01
    • +2
      randallr01  
    • antiutopia:

      Oh... and a possible "bad fight with his parents????" You obviously didn't read the story. The whole family is shocked and grieving in pain. That fact knocks your 'family feud' idea out of the equation. You need to do some research before you comment.

      (oh yeah --- people don't tend to INTENTIONALLY kill themselves when on drugs, either...)

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • +1
      freecrack  
    • antiutopia:

      and it isnt clear yet that he wasnt murdered, but of the facts are sensative personal information was leaked, and now he is dead.doesnt really seem like they are points that arent linked.i mean if the story was gay kid has ham sandwich then hangs himself, i wouldnt see a link, even if it was low grade meat.but life altering event followed by aparent suicide just makes the most basic common sense.the most reasonable place to start.

    • 1 year ago
  • antiutopia
  • freecrack
  • keithponder
  • tommic
    • +4
      tommic  

    • Talk about a violation of one rights, the right to privacy. if thats not enough how about being a human and civil person? I guess I'm just alittle too idealistic for 54
      The people who took the pics should have their cocks cut off, they'll never have a sex life

    • 1 year ago
  • toastyguy11
    • +6
      toastyguy11  

    • seriously, wtf is wrong with people?! I think taping anyone having sex and putting it on the internet without their consent is seriously fucked up. But to do it like this is a lot worse, why would anyone want to humiliate someone like that?

    • 1 year ago
  • simguy665
  • randallr01
  • onemalefla
  • ayipis
  • donkeyfly69
  • freecrack
  • derk
  • littlwarrior
    • +5
      littlwarrior  

    • how sad this story is, but it wasnt worth suicide. Nothing is worth killing ones self but one can only imagine the pain that drove him there.

    • 1 year ago
  • Tyr
    • +4
      Tyr  

    • I would say that the max of 5 years in a place like Soledad out here is California would be justice...both of them would get to know prison love real fast.

    • 1 year ago
  • themotivateddropout
    • +7
      themotivateddropout  

    • Wow.
      What a fucking mistake that was to make.
      It's not like streaming a video of your roommate masturbating. That's embarrassing but not as severe as being videotaped doing something that's met with so much hate and animosity.
      But it's pretty much guaranteed that they learned from their mistake. It's just too bad a life had to be lost for them to learn it.

      Plus the $25,000 bail was a sharp reminder.

    • 1 year ago
  • FtheBULLSHT
  • donkeyfly69
  • FtheBULLSHT
    • 0
      FtheBULLSHT  
    • donkeyfly69:

      I can't really make out her involvement in the situation, from what I can tell she helped video tape it but had nothing to do with posting it online. So I think a few years is a little harsh. I think 12 months with probation sounds fair.

      For the guy who posted this on net though, at least five years.

      People are found guilty of DUI Manslaughter get, a couple years probation, maybe jail time, loss of license for life; just let off easy and I personally think that's more irresponsible and reckless than video taping someone and putting it on the internet, though that's indeed sick.

    • 1 year ago
  • unimatrix0
    • +9
      unimatrix0  

    • what a sad and terrible waste. Ravi and Wei are monsters, and they will have to live with the results of their cruel prank for the rest of their lives.

    • 1 year ago
  • alicynx
    • +10
      alicynx  

    • Wow, those two have a lot resting on their shoulders for the rest of their lives. I hope that they learn how wrong they were, and to be less judgmental of others knowing that their actions impact others. A sad way to learn a lesson, for sure =(

    • 1 year ago
  • toyotabedzrock
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