Parents of teen who committed suicide after sex offender threats sue school, police

The parents of a high school junior who jumped to his death after police threatened severe consequences for his recording of a consensual sex act have sued the Naperville, Chicago police department and the school district.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the family of 16-year-old Corey Walgren filed the lawsuit in DuPage County Circuit Court on Wednesday, accuses the school department and the police of causing the boy “extreme, intolerable and excessive emotional and psychological distress.”

As Crime Online previously reported, Corey was called to the school dean’s office in January after school officials learned that Corey allegedly took a phone video recording of a consensual sexual encounter and may have let his friends see it. The dean and a police officer present at the meeting reportedly told Corey he could be facing serious legal consequences for what they said was “child pornography” and said he may have to register as a sex offender.

Hours later, Corey, an honor roll student and member of the school’s hockey team who had not previously been in any trouble, was dead by suicide. He reportedly fell to his death from the roof a parking structure a couple of miles from the school.

The recording in question, while reportedly taken without the knowledge or permission of Corey’s partner, was later found not to contain any clear images and was very dark. According to the Chicago Tribune, police said the recording was “more of only audio.” The girl in the recording is reportedly the first to report its existence.

The lawsuit is asking for $5 million in damages.

“The extreme, intolerable and excessive fear and psychological distress suffered by Corey, including but not limited to the fear of incarceration and social embarrassment and shame, was objectively obvious and apparent to [the defendants],” the lawsuit states.

 

 

Featured image: Family photo