Student Secretly Taped Sex at Rutgers: Suicide After Dharun Ravi Allegedly Posted Gay Sex on Internet

College students are getting crueler in their pranks now that technology makes it easier to cause a serious invasion of privacy for someone. At any given moment college kids all over the nation are probably doing something stupid and perhaps illegal with their computer, cell phone, or other technology.

Student at Rutgers University a Suicide after Sex is Taped

And now a Rutgers University student is presumed dead after his car was found empty at the George Washington Bridge, reports WPIX. The young man had been secretly taped twice while having sex with another man. His roommate and a friend also then allegedly released a live feed of the sexual encounter to the Internet, notes NJ.com

. The student who was taped and the two students who allegedly did it were all age 18 at the time of the incident. They were all freshman at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. It is only the end of September and yet already three college freshmen are forever changed. One has lost his life and two are facing possible jail time. The two students who have been charged are from Princeton, NJ and Plainsboro, which is just outside Princeton.

And what about the other person who was involved in the sexual act? His privacy was invaded too. Let's hope that student has lots of support around them. What a horrible incident to have to handle just as college is starting.

Pranks are Sometimes a Crime

Did the students not realize that invasion of privacy and distributing sexual images without consent on the Internet are serious 3^rd and 4^th degree crimes? One of those who did the taping, Dharun Ravi, even discussed the upcoming secret filming on Twitter.

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei have been charged with alleged invasion of privacy. I will not post the name of the student who died. His privacy has already been taken. Most likely though the whole campus already knows who he is. Some of them may have seen the video and gossip is probably spreading wildly.

It is tragic that this event led a student to commit suicide. Freshman year in college is a time of a new start in life. It is a time when a student starts to build an adult persona. This student had a horrible experience and it overcame him. Perhaps he was still in the closet as a gay man. He was just discovering who he was. What a tragic loss of life.

College Stress

The first year of college is stressful enough normally. Now all of the available technology gives students even more to worry about. Their privacy could be invaded in a dorm room or anywhere on campus. Any dorm room or apartment could be rigged with a camera so video or pictures could be secretly taken during a party or romantic encounter.

The Dangers of Technology

There is so much new technology. It is tragic that college kids probably don't realize the implications of using it in an illegal manner. Now one set of parents have been informed of a child's suicide and two other sets of parents have been informed that their children have been arrested. This is not the kind of news parents like to get when they send a child off to college.

Warning Kids about Technology & Possible Invasion of Privacy

Parents have a tougher job now getting kids ready for college. It seems they must now have a chat with kids about the dangers of the technology and how it could be used to harm them.

Perhaps colleges need to give incoming freshman a seminar about law and how using the Internet and technology improperly could result in dismissal from the college and arrest.

Right now Rutgers has an article on the campus website called "Advice for First-Year Students." Let's hope they update it at some point to include information about invasion of privacy and how it is a crime.

Talk to Police if You Have Information

The Rutgers police can be reached at 732 - 932-8025. Let them know if you have any information about this incident or other related incidents at Rutgers University.

Do the right thing and let authorities know what you know if you have any information. A young man has lost his life and his family is in mourning.

Sources:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/charged_with_taping_rutgers_student_9G3XCTxdLoZ3VPJNyk8spO

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/rutgers_university_freshmen_ar_1.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/charged_with_taping_rutgers_student_9G3XCTxdLoZ3VPJNyk8spO

http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-rutgers-students,0,1436134.story

http://www.rutgers.edu/