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2 Rutgers Freshmen Charged For Secretly Making Sex Tape Of Another Student, Who Then Committed Suicide

Homophobia, bigotry, and/or/and absence of empathy and consideration is a blight on the human condition, too
often leading to tragedy which in a more enlightened, freer, more humanist society would not happen so much.

.. VIDEO INSIDE .. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/wpix-rutgers-students,0,2786442.story

By ANDREW RAMOS and SHELLEY NG wpix.com
7:00 p.m. CDT, September 29, 2010

NEW JERSEY (WPIX) — NYPD harbor units have recovered the body of an individual believed to be Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman who jumped to his death after two other students secretly filmed him during a sexual encounter with another man, PIX 11 News has learned.

Sources say there was no wallet and no identification on the body.

Clementi was spotted on the walkway of the George Washington Bridge on the night of Sept 22. Earlier in the evening, the 18-year-old freshman had posted a chilling goodbye message on his Facebook page.

"Jumping off the gw bridge sorry," Clementi wrote on Facebook before jumping to his death. Sources tell PIX 11 News, Clementi's car was later discovered along the New Jersey border with both his cell phone and computer inside.

Fellow freshmen students Dharun Ravi, 18, of Plainsboro and Molly Wei, 18, of Princeton have since been charged with invasion of privacy for allegedly placing a camera in Clementi's room.

Ravi and Wei were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy for using a camera to view and transmit a live image of the teen during the sexual encounter on Sept. 19.

Ravi, who was Clementi's roommate, was additionally charged with two more counts of invasion of privacy for trying to use the hidden camera to view the same student during another sexual encounter just three days later on Sept. 21.

Days before the shocking suicide, Ravi updated his Twitter account, admitting to friends that he enabled his webcam to spy on Clementi who had asked his roommate for some privacy.

"Roommate asked for the room till midnight," he tweeted on Sept. 19. "I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."

Ravi's Twitter account was later deleted.

Ravi was released on $25,000 bail Tuesday after surrendering to Rutgers police, while Wei was released on her own recognizance Monday after surrendering to authorities.

According to Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan, it is a fourth-degree crime to collect or view images depicting nudity or sexual content of an individual without that person's consent. The crime becomes a third-degree offense if the images are transmitted or distributed.

An attorney for the Clementi family released a statement Wednesday, asking for privacy as relatives cope with the devastating loss.

"Tyler was a fine young man, and a distinguished musician. The family is heartbroken beyond words," attorney Paul Mainardi said in a statement. "They respectfully request that they be given time to grieve their great loss and that their privacy at this painful time be respected by all."

Rutgers University President Richard McCormick also released on statement on the tragedy, saying the University was taking the case very seriously.

"This young man was reportedly the victim of an incident that took place in one of our residence halls last week," McCormick said. "Two fellow Rutgers students have been arrested and charged with invasion of privacy for their actions in that incident."

"If the charges are true, these actions gravely violate the university's standards of decency and humanity."

Many were mourning the death of Clementi on a Facebook Tribute page set up in his honor Wednesday.

"My prayers are with you," wrote Jeannine Torres. "The cruelty of others is incomprehensible. May you rest in peace, know that your loss is not in vein, many will learn."

If convicted, Ravi and Wei face up to five years in jail.

ARTHUR CHI'EN CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/wpix-rutgers-students,0,2786442.story