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UPDATE: Spalding County Sheriffs Deputies have arrested Rasheed O’Myra Reid in connection with the child pornography incident.
RASHEED O’MYRA REID
He is a student at Spalding High School where the incident is alleged to have happened. He is 17 and is being charged , and faces a felony charge of “Distributing child Pornography.” Chief Deputy Tony Thomason believes more charges are coming and believes more people/students are likely to be arrested. Reid, though he is a student, is an adult and his case will go to Superior Court. That is why we were able to get Reid’s mug shot. Special thanks to Paul Powers and 11 ALIVE NEWS
PRESS RELEASE
Sheriff Darrell Dix Public Information Officer
Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dwayne Jones
401 Justice Boulevard djones@spaldingcounty.com
Griffin, GA 30224 770-467-5413
Earlier this evening, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the Griffin Spalding County School System became aware of pornographic video being circulated among students. This video was of a 15-year-old student that we are considering the victim due to circumstances uncovered during the investigation. The video was recorded by another student during school hours. The video was then shared multiple times and it appears that it continues to be shared. Investigators have been conducting interviews and the parents of the victim student have been made aware of the video’s existence.
At this point our priority is protecting the victim and stopping the spread of this video. What happened is a crime. It is unlawful to record, posses, or distribute child pornography, and the student who made the video has been charged accordingly. Students who shared or possessed the video can also be charged. These incidents can destroy young people’s lives and often drive some to harm themselves or commit suicide.
What we are asking all parents to do is to get your student’s cellphone and check it. We are not asking you to turn your child in. Inspect the phone, search it, and if you find this video or any other pornographic content, delete it. Delete it from the cloud and empty the trash. We realize that the video may still be on the phone, we, just as you, know that it is never completely gone.
Our first goal is to stop this video from spreading further. Speak to your child about this incident, even if you find nothing. Let them know the severity of this crime and the damage it can do to them and others. We will continue back tracking the shares of this video. Anyone we find in possession, or to have shared this video will face criminal prosecution.
Some may say “Prosecution is too much- they’re just kids.” First of all, I think you would feel differently if it was your minor child being shared in a pornographic video on social media. If your “kid” is old enough to have a cellphone, and knowingly record or share pornographic material, they know what it is, and they are old enough to be held responsible for these heinous actions. After all, they didn’t record this kid just walking down a hall and share it did they? They knew what they were doing.
Parents, you need to understand, your child has no privacy right in their cellphone, it is provided to them. You can take it and search it. They have no say so in it. This should be done often and thoroughly to protect them and others. If they don’t like it, be a parent, not a friend. Take the phone and give it back to them when you are ready. If they don’t like it, they can hire an attorney and sue you. Tell them good luck. This is about as serious as it gets. The mental, emotional and physical damage that these incidents cause cannot be measured or erased.
We will continue to work closely with school officials as this investigation continues.