Two Maryland teens have been accused of sexually abusing an autistic 16-year-old and capturing the entire attack on video.
Officials in the southern Maryland town of St. Mary's told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the two girls, aged 15 and 17, forced the boy to carry out sex acts and slip through pond ice.
St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Cara Grumbles told the press that the two girls used a knife to threaten the autistic teen, kicked him in the crotch and tugged him by the hair as they dragged him around. They then convinced him to walk over a semi-frozen body of water, but wouldn't help him out when he slipped through.
According to Grumbles, the boy managed to get out of the freezing water on his own, but might not have been so lucky if the circumstances turned dire.
"You're dealing with somebody who doesn't have the mental capacity of you and I," she said. "Somebody like that could go into a kiddie pool and may not be able to get themselves out. That's what's really kind of disturbing to us, among the other allegations in this case. The whole thing's just very disturbing."
Detectives familiar with the case told the Associated Press they hadn't yet found the video on the Internet, but were aware of its existence.
17-year-old Mechanicsville resident Lauren A. Bush has been charged as an adult. She made her first appearance in front of officials on Tuesday to receive her first and second-degree assault, false imprisonment and solicitation for child pornography charges. According to the Associated Press, she was eventually let go on her own recognizance.
The 15-year-old who has not been identified was charged as a juvenile. She is currently facing the same set of charges.
The two girls, who reportedly attend Chopticon High School in Morganza with the autistic teen, admitted they did commit the offenses.
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