NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A 13-year-old from Yulee was accused Tuesday of cyberbullying after an investigation involving serious threats, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
The juvenile was charged with two felonies: electronic threats to kill and aggravated stalking, Sheriff Bill Leeper said.
He said the investigation began on Aug. 1 when deputies responded to a juvenile victim’s home after their parent found life-threatening posts on TikTok directed at their child.
Leeper said the account appeared to belong to a former Yulee Middle School student, showing the student’s profile picture and the school logo.
He said it and the school received calls from concerned parents who said they planned to keep their children home on the first day of school.
The sheriff’s office said the school resource officer met with the student initially believed to be responsible for the TikTok account and their parents. The parents said they had parental controls in place to prevent them from downloading or using social media apps. Investigators said they reported the account to TikTok, which was then removed.
Leeper said the next day, a second account was created using the same child’s name and likeness without their permission.
On Aug. 13, the school received a tip identifying a possible suspect behind the fake account. Investigators searched the 13-year-old’s phones and found the profile picture and other images linked to the TikTok account in question.
“No matter your age, threats of this nature come with serious consequences,” Leeper said. “Not only did this child make disturbing threats, but she did so using the identity of another student, whose reputation was unfairly damaged in the process. Let this serve as a reminder for parents to closely monitor their child’s activity on any device.”