Juvenile charged for threatening clown messages

Berks County Detectives have made an arrest following an investigation into clown threats made toward several Berks County schools earlier this month.

According to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, detectives identified and arrested a 16-year-old student from the Wilson School District for allegedly making social media posts threatening violence directed at four different Berks County school districts including Governor Mifflin, Wilson, Reading and Twin Valley. The threats were posted on Oct. 4, police said.

Detectives found during the investigation that the juvenile girl used a handheld electronic device to create an Instagram and social media account from her home in order to post the threatening clown messages.

Berks County Detectives and Spring Township Police Department served a search warrant at the home in West Lawn, Berks County, Thursday morning. Both the 16-year-old and her mother were present at the time of the search. Detectives seized the electronic devices and took a statement from the juvenile. In the statement, she admitted to posting the messages and told police that she had posted thembecause she didn’t want to go to school, police said. The 16-year-old said that she thought school would be canceled if she posted the messages.

The girl has been charged with terroristic threats, criminal use of a communication facility, harassment, disorderly conduct and false alarms to agencies of public safety.