A 14-year-old boy was arrested early Friday morning after reportedly making written threats to kill another child on social media, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said that a concerned parent contacted them after their 13-year-old son received death threats through social media following an argument on Instagram.
The 14-year-old boy was tracked down via his social media account and deputies spoke with him and his parents. The boy admitted to sending the messages to the other child but said he did it out of anger and he did not intend to actually carry out the threats, according to deputies.
Flagler County Deputies said the boy was arrested and taken to Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility before being sent to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Daytona Beach. He was then released into the care of his mother, they said.
The threats were made directly to the other child via social media and there were no threats to the school or any other students, deputies said.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office is asking parents to monitor their children's online activity and to familiarize themselves with 23 mobile apps that parents should be aware of and monitor. They also want parents to be aware of parental control applications like Bark, Net Nanny and Securly to help monitor their children's online activity.
“We take all threats seriously and if you make a threat – whether verbally, in writing, or through social media – it will be investigated and you will be arrested,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Cell phones and social media are a part of every child’s life these days and it is more important than ever for parents to pay attention to what their children are doing online. Let them know that if they make the wrong choice, say, write or post threats, they will face serious consequences. Florida law is very strict and there is no discretion for law enforcement. We have a zero-tolerance policy for threats in Flagler County.”