GILES COUNTY, TN — A recent case investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) underscores the serious legal consequences teenagers can face for online actions, particularly when bullying and image sharing intersect on social media.

TBI special agents, acting at the request of 22nd Judicial District Attorney General Brent Cooper, launched an investigation in November after a compromising photo of a Giles County teenager was shared on Snapchat. The image, reportedly obtained from another classmate, was later posted online by two other teens, according to investigators.

Agents determined that, beyond posting the photo, one of the suspects also sent a threatening message directly to the victim.

On Monday, agents filed juvenile petitions charging one teen with one count each of Illegal Use of a Telecommunications Device, Unlawful Photography-Dissemination, and Harassment. The second teen faces charges of Illegal Use of a Telecommunications Device and Unlawful Photography-Dissemination.

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