Two UTM freshmen face an Oct. 9 court date on charges of threatening and harassing a UT Knoxville student via Facebook.
Patrick Valdes, 18, a Secondary Education History major from Jackson, and Erin Chism, 18, a Science/Engineering Undecided major from Jackson, were each charged last night with one count of felony harassment and one count of felony conspiracy to commit harassment.
The two men were arraigned today in Weakley County General Sessions Court. They are being held in the Weakley County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond.
According to a press release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the 27th Judicial District Attorney General requested Tuesday, Oct. 1, that TBI investigate a report that a UT Knoxville student had received a threatening message on her Facebook page last month.
Valdes is accused of writing and producing a song that made reference to sexually assaulting and killing the Knoxville student, along with killing her family and burning her house down, according to the TBI press release. Chism then became āfriendsā with the woman on Facebook and sent the song to her via Facebook, the press release continued.
The UTM Department of Public Safety and the Knoxville Police Department assisted the investigation.
The Pacer will update the story as more information becomes available.
