Athens Police Department is issuing a stern warning to parents after four Athens ISD students faced serious charges for making threats of violence via digital messages. Despite the intention behind the threats, each student was charged with a felony-level offense of Terroristic Threat. Athens Police Chief Chad Allen emphasized that the consequences are real, regardless of whether the threats were intended as jokes or not. Deleting the messages doesn't erase the repercussions, as digital footprints are permanent.
"What they think is fake results in real-life consequences," said Athens Police Chief Chad Allen.
Chief Allen highlighted that this issue extends beyond Athens, with similar cases cropping up across the state. Many students find themselves entangled in legal proceedings, facing judges and having to make amends for their actions.
To address this growing concern, Chief Allen stressed the importance of parents initiating conversations with their children about responsible social media and texting practices. He urged parents to utilize resources such as the getparentingtips.com website provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to facilitate these discussions.
Ultimately, Chief Allen emphasized that proactive parental involvement can prevent children from facing legal consequences and the need for law enforcement intervention.
