Indiana teens charged in beating of girl, 12

4/20/2008

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. - A group of southern Indiana middle school girls beat up a 12-year-old girl and posted the videotaped beating on the Internet in a scheme police believe was inspired by a similar plot in Florida, authorities said.

No charges have been filed, and police said they have not yet interviewed all the girls, ages 12-14, who are students at Clarksville Middle School. The girls' identities were not released because they are juveniles.

The victim, who was treated for cuts and bruises at a hospital, is the daughter of a police officer, said Police Chief Dwight Ingle.

Police said the girls lured the victim to a parking lot near a warehouse in the town just north of Louisville on April 12 and beat her up. The violence was videotaped and later posted on the video-sharing Web site PhotoBucket, Chief Ingle said Friday, but it has been removed.

Detective Darrell Rayborn said police believe the plot was inspired by a scheme in which a group of teenage girls in central Florida posted the videotaped beating of a 16-year-old victim online. Parts of that video have been widely seen on TV and Youtube.

Clarksville school Superintendent Stephen Fisher said he did not anticipate disciplinary action against the students because the fight did not occur on school grounds.