By Dennis Cauchon and John Bacon, USA TODAY
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Two Ohio girls were arrested after making
threats on Facebook and Twitter against a West Virginia girl who accused
two high school football players of raping her.
The girls were
arrested Monday, the day after the two players were found guilty of
raping the drunken 16-year-old girl during an all-night party in August.
Ohio
State Attorney General Mike DeWine says the girls are being held in
juvenile detention on allegations of aggravated menacing.
The
arrests come a day after DeWine announced a grand jury will convene next
month to determine whether others broke the law by not speaking up
after the attack last summer.
"We're going to push this thing as
fast as we can. Bring finality to this to determine if there's anybody
else that should be charged," DeWine said. "And then the community needs
to move on."
DeWine said coaches, parents and other students may
face charges. Text messages introduced at the trial suggested a coach
was aware of the rape allegation early on. The coach and the school
district have declined to comment.
Steuvenville High's football team has won nine state titles and is a source of pride for the town of 18,000.
"You
cannot bring finality to this without the convening of grand jury,"
DeWine said Sunday. "We have 16 witnesses who wouldn't talk to us."
Trent
Mays, 17, and Ma'Lik Richmond, 16, wept and apologized when the judge
announced the verdict Sunday after a non-jury trial in juvenile court.
The assault gained international attention after the boys and other
students talked about it on Twitter and YouTube and exchanged photos of
the naked victim by text.
"No pictures should have been sent around, let alone even taken," said Mays during his brief courtroom apology.
Mays
was found delinquent - the equivalent of guilty in juvenile court - and
sentenced to at least two years in detention and a maximum of
confinement until his 21st birthday. His teammate, Ma'Lik Richmond, 16,
was sentenced to at least one year of detention or until his 21st
birthday. Juvenile authorities will decide whether the boys will be
released before they turn 21.
"My life is over," Richmond said as he collapsed in the arms of his lawyer.
The
defendants were convicted of digitally penetrating a West Virginia
girl. They will be required to register as sex offenders when released.
Visiting
Judge Thomas Lipps said he had reviewed the text messages and photos
and found them "profane and ugly." "I'm aware this is the first time
they have been in trouble with the law," Lipps said, "but these are
serious offenses. If they were convicted in an adult court of these
charges, they would be spending many years in prison."
After the
verdicts, the victim's mother addressed this comment to the defendants:
"You were your own accuser, through the social media."
The boys'
attorneys argued that the sexual contact was consensual. Friends of the
girl testified they tried to get her to leave the party but she insisted
on staying with the boys.
Lipps was appointed an outside judge in
the case because the Steubenville High School football team is a source
of great pride in this economically depressed steel town. DeWine
appointed two attorneys from his office to act as special prosecutors.
The
Aug. 11 incident began at the home of a football player who was not
charged. The victim drank heavily, including a vodka slushie. She
testified Saturday that she could not remember much of the night.
The
assaults allegedly occurred in a house and in the back seat of a car
while the boys were being driven to another party. Another football
player recorded the assault on his phone but deleted the recording the
next day. Other photos showed the girl nude or half-clothed and passed
out.
When the verdict was announced, 30 advocates for stopping
violence against women cheered outside the courthouse. "They think their
lives are ruined," Shantella Colsen, 17, said of the defendants. "What
about her?"
Contributing: Rachel Huggins; Associated Press