A day after Polk County, Fl., Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrest of two girls in the Rebecca Ann Sedwick suicide he appeared on the national television morning shows warning parents of the dangers of cyberbullying, reports the Orlando Sentinel. He also vowed to prosecute anyone – children or adults – who commits such crimes. “People deserve to live a healthy, normal life,” Judd told Good Morning America. “We will prosecute anyone we can prove has bullied or stalked someone.” After more than a year of bullying Rebecca jumped from a silo at an abandoned concrete factory on Sept. 10.
Judd said the girl’s parents did everything they could to help, including separating her from her bullies, switching schools and putting her in counseling. The sheriff said Rebecca’s parents didn’t want to take away her Internet connection because she wouldn’t be able to communicate with her friends but cutting the cord on social media sites is exactly what Judd wants parents to do in cyberbullying situations. He wants parents to have tough talks with their children about social media and instant-messaging sites and take their access to them away if they are bullying other children or being bullied. One of the girls, 14, said in a post, “Yes ik [I know] I bullied Rebecca nd she killed her self but IDGAF [I don’t give a (expletive)].” Polk County charged the author of the post and another 12-year-old girl with aggravated stalking.