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Gay News: Gay student Tyler Clementi leapt to his death after his roommate filmed him being intimate with another man.
By: Nigel Robinson

Tyler Clementi

Sex video teen kills himself

 

1 October 2010

 

The body of Clementi, 18, a talented violinist and a student at Rutgers University in New Jersey, was found in the Hudson River.  He had jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. 

His death came only hours after he had reportedly complained to college authorities that his room-mate Dharum Ravi, 18, and another student, Molly Wei, 18, had secretly filmed him having sex with another man and streamed the images live on the internet. 

On 19 September Ravi had written on Twitter: “Room-mate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.” 

Two days later he tweeted again: “Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9.30 and 12. Yes, it’s happening again.” 

Shortly afterwards on 22 September Clementi updated his Facebook page to read, “Jumping off the gw bridge – sorry.” He left hsi wallet containing ID on the George Washington Bridge before jumping. 

His body was finally recovered from the Hudson River on 29 September. The verdict was suicide by drowning. 

Dharum Ravi and Molly Wei have been charged with illegally filming the teenager and violating his privacy. If convicted they could face up to five years in prison. 

However, gay rights groups are calling for the pair to be charged with a hate crime, for which the maximum penalty is ten years.