A juvenile pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiring to make terroristic threats and two counts of falsely summoning law enforcement for swatting incidents last year in Stafford County, according to the sheriff’s office.
Swatting is when someone falsely calls 911 and the call results in a large law enforcement response.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said in a Saturday news release that it had responded to a “plethora of swatting incidents” between May and September 2023. The false reports of bombs and shootings led authorities to respond to Stafford High School, Brooke Point High School, Dixon Smith Middle School, and Drew Middle School. The schools ended up either getting locked down or evacuated. The calls turned out to be false.
The investigation led authorities to the juvenile’s home where the sheriff’s department found “computers, hard drives and a server we imagine would rival the National Security Agency,” it said.
As part of a plea agreement in Stafford Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the juvenile forfeited all electronic devices.
“This has been an ongoing investigation and reaches across the United States and abroad. We continue to work closely with the Stafford County Public Schools to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff,” said Maj. Shawn Kimmitz, in the release.
The juvenile’s name and age have not been released. Because of confidentiality laws, the names of juveniles are not released in Virginia unless they are charged as adults.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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