Three Chicago teens accused of raping a 12-year-old girl and putting the video on Facebook charged as adults
(CBS) CHICAGO -Three teenagers accused of raping a 12-year-old girl at gunpoint and posting the video of the assault on Facebook were charged with sex assault as adults on Friday, said the Chicago Tribune.
PICTURES: Facebook-related crimes
According to the paper, the three boys were held in custody in lieu of $900,000 bail.
The Tribune reported prosecutors say that on December 15, 2012, the girl went to 16-year-old Scandale Fritz's Chicago home to speak with him, and that when she arrived at the home, 16-year-old Justin Applewhite and 15-year-old Kenneth Brown were with Fritz. Brown had a gun in his pocket, prosecutors allege.
Brown allegedly forced the girl to go downstairs with him where he raped and sodomized her after she repeatedly refused his demands for sex, reported the Tribune. Then, authorities say, Fritz and Applewhite went downstairs and also sexually assaulted her.
The paper said Fritz allegedly videotaped the sex acts which showed Brown holding a gun during sex and the three boys shouting gang slogans. On December 17, someone posted the video first on Brown's Facebook page and then on the remaining boys' pages.
Authorities told the Chicago Tribune that Fritz confessed to making the videotape.
Fritz and Brown have previous criminal records while Applewhite does not, said the paper.
The three teens will appear in court again on June 6.