The Jessi Slaughter cyberbullying case was an American criminal case that revolved around an 11-year-old named Jessica Leonhardt (known online as "Jessi Slaughter" and "Kerligirl13"), whose profanity-laden videos went viral on Stickam and YouTube in 2010. The videos were made in response to accusations that a friend had raped Leonhardt, and that Leonhardt had a sexual relationship with the lead singer of the electropop band Blood on the Dance Floor, a man named Dahvie Vanity (real name Jesus David Torres) while Leonhardt was a minor.[1] This resulted in a campaign of telephone and internet harassment against Leonhardt and their family, chiefly attributed to the Blood on the Dance Floor fanbase on 4chan as well as alleged members of the internet-based group Anonymous.[2] It began a debate about the dangers of anonymity on the Internet, and whether or not the Internet is a safe environment for minors, and all people in general.[3][4][5]

Leonhardt told The Independent in 2016: "I wouldn't even call what happened to me cyberbullying, it was straight up harassment and stalking. It started out as cyberbullying but it quickly evolved." Vanity has repeatedly denied all of the allegations against him. He has also denied knowing Leonhardt or any of the other victims that have accused him of sexual assault, rape, and child molestation and has stated that Leonhardt had a mental illness.[6] The song "You Done Goofed" from the Blood on the Dance Floor album Epic is about Leonhardt and Vanity's alleged experiences with them.[7]

Leonhardt later came out as transgender and non-binary, now going by the name Damien Leonhardt.[8] In 2018, they accused Vanity of child sexual abuse and rape in a post on social media site Tumblr during their alleged relationship, when Leonhardt was 10 years old.[9] One year later, an additional 21 women accused Vanity of sexual assault, child molestation, and rape, with many of them saying the attacks took place while they were under the age of consent.[10]

Videos

Leonhardt began making YouTube videos when they were 10 years old, discussing "fashion, clothes and local drama that was happening within the party scene" which were uploaded on their friend's webcam.[11] Leonhardt posted their first popular video just before their twelfth birthday in response to two claims made on StickyDrama and MySpace: the first being that they were a victim of rape, and the second being that they were having an underaged sexual relationship with the lead singer of the electronic band Blood on the Dance Floor, a man by the name of Dahvie Vanity (real name Jesus David Torres). The video was eventually linked to by users of 4chan, who then found and distributed Leonhardt's real name, phone number and address.[1] Leonhardt also responded to comments that their relationship with Vanity constituted statutory rape with anger.[4]

The harassment intensified after Leonhardt uploaded a video that included their father, Gene Leonhardt, insulting and threatening the 4chan users that had posted information about Leonhardt, telling them they had "done goofed", and that:

"You know what? I'm gonna tell you right now, this is from her father, you bunch of lying no-good punks! And I know who it's coming from, because I backtraced it! And I know who's emailing and who's doing it, and you've been reported to the cyber-police and the state police! You better not write one more thing, or screw with my computer again, you'll be arrested, end of conversation, from her father! And if you come near my daughter, guess what? Consequences will never be the same! You lying bunch of pricks!"

The video, which was titled "You Dun Goofed Up", received over 1 million views on YouTube in one week.[12] Leonhardt's father's reaction made the taunting worse, and the video of his reactions received more views than any of Leonhardt's previous recordings, with several quotes from his speech becoming memes themselves.[5] Gene was later arrested in March 2011 for abusing Leonhardt in an argument when he punched them, causing them to have bloody and swollen lips, according to a police report. Gene later died from a heart attack while in custody at a police station in early 2011.[13][14]

Leonhardt stated that they had lost all of their friends as a result of the harassment.[6] Because of the harassment, Leonhardt was placed under police protection, and the family's home under police surveillance. Leonhardt underwent counseling for harassment.[1] In a subsequent Good Morning America interview, the family revealed that they have received harassment, including death threats.[2] The Marion County, Florida sheriff's department said it was investigating allegations that there were pornographic photos of Leonhardt online.[15] In retaliation for Gawker's coverage of the case, Gawker experienced a series of DoS attacks attributed to 4chan users.[12]

Parry Aftab harassment

After the Good Morning America interview, the television audience was given advice on how to handle cyberbullying (online bullying and harassment) from internet privacy expert Parry Aftab.[2] Aftab was subsequently subjected to harassment attributed to 4chan users in the forms of Google bombing false accusations of child sexual assault, the distribution of personal information, threatening telephone calls, and DoS attacks against her websites wiredsafety.org and aftab.com. Aftab canceled a follow-up GMA report due to air the next day because of the harassment.[16][17]

Reactions

In Australia, advocates of internet censorship invoked the harassment to support mandatory content filtering.[18] In France, L'Express described the harassment as "ruining the life" of "an American in the midst of an adolescent crisis",[19] and France24 noted that some were using the controversy to claim that 4chan should be censored.[20]

The case was seen by BuzzFeed News in 2018 as an example of how attitudes to cyberbullying have changed since 2010, with more emphasis on the victim of abuse.[21]

Later developments: sexual assault allegations

Rumors of rape and sexual abuse by Vanity had been circulating since 2009.[10] Blood on the Dance Floor members Garrett Ecstasy, who left the band in 2009, and Jayy Von Monroe, who left the band in 2016, have described Vanity as a sexual predator.[10] Jeffree Star and New Years Day members Ash Costello and Nikki Misery have stated that they observed Vanity engage in questionable or illegal sexual behavior during one of the Vans Warped Tours and also during the "All the Rage Tour 2012" in the early 2010s.[22][23]

On March 2, 2018, Leonhardt made a Tumblr post in which they publicly accused Vanity of rape for the first time.[9]

In March 2020, Leonhardt told journalist Chris Hansen of To Catch a Predator that Vanity sexually assaulted them in April 2009, when Leonhardt was 10 and Vanity was 24. They were interviewed as part of Hansen's YouTube channel Have a Seat with Chris Hansen; Hansen described Leonhardt as Vanity's "victim zero".[24] Leonhardt said they were at a party at which Vanity was present and while they were in the bathroom of the house, Vanity coerced them to perform oral sex on him. During the next 16 months, Leonhardt stated that Vanity had violently raped them under the guise of BDSM-style sexual activity. In 2010, Leonhardt told a classmate that Vanity had molested them, but later told Insider that they used the term as a joke, and viewed the relationship as consensual. Leonhardt also stated that had they not mentioned Vanity to classmates – which led to the case being discussed online – the abuse would have continued.[9] One year later, 21 women accused Vanity of sexual assault, child molestation, and rape with many of the women saying that the attacks had taken place while they were under the age of consent. This led to the FBI beginning an investigation into the allegations against Vanity.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Death threat viral star 'to keep making videos'". 9News. Australia. July 23, 2010. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Canning, Andrea; Netter, Sarah; Crews, Josey (July 22, 2020). "'Jessi Slaughter' Says Death Threats Won't Stop Her From Posting Videos on the Internet". Good Morning America. ABC News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  3. ↑ Chen, Adrian (July 16, 2010). "How the Internet Beat Up an 11-Year-Old Girl". Gawker. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Braiker, Brian (July 22, 2010). "Viral Cyberbullying: Who's to Blame for Jessi Slaughter's Online Infamy". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Hartstein, Jennifer (July 22, 2010). "Ranting 11-Year-Old Goes Viral". The Early Show. CBS News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "This person became a meme and it ruined their life". The Independent. March 31, 2016. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ Tenbarge, Kat (July 2, 2020). "Myspace-famous musician Dahvie Vanity was accused of child sex abuse for years. Now the FBI is involved". Insider. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2022. Torres also capitalized on the firestorm against Leonhardt and their family with a song titled "You Done Goofed"
  8. ↑ Gunz, Rafaella (August 20, 2017). "Damien Leonhardt was once the subject of a viral video, now she's trans and proud". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 Tenbarge, Kat (July 2, 2020). "Myspace-famous musician Dahvie Vanity was accused of child sex abuse for years. Now the FBI is involved". Insider. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Cook, Jesselyn (April 4, 2019). "Dahvie Vanity Raped A Child. Police Gave Him A Warning. Now 21 Women Accuse Him Of Sexual Assault". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ "YouTube's viral stars on how the platform changed the internet forever". Dazed. March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Popkin, Helen A.S. (July 20, 2010). "4chan members attack Gawker website". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  13. ↑ Canning, Andrea (March 25, 2011). "'Jessie Slaughter' Dad Charged With Child Abuse". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Father Of "Jessi Slaughter" Busted For Child Abuse". The Smoking Gun. March 25, 2011. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  15. ↑ Chen, Adrian (May 6, 2013). "11-Year-Old Viral Video Star Placed Under Police Protection After Death Threats (Updated)". Gawker. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  16. ↑ Crimesider (July 23, 2010). "Parry Aftab Rumors Completely Untrue; Result of Malicious Attack". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  17. ↑ Chen, Adrian (July 23, 2010). "Cyberbullying Expert Bullied Off Good Morning America". Gawker. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  18. ↑ Farquar, Peter. "Jessi Slaughter and the 4chan trolls – the case for censoring the internet". News Limited. Australia. Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ Simon, Marie (July 22, 2010). "Jessi Slaughter, nouvelle tête de turc du web américain" [Jessi Slaughter, new tête de turc of the American web]. L'Express (in French). Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  20. ↑ France 24 official YouTube channel. "The Jessi Slaughter scandal" Archived February 9, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. July 23, 2010. Accessed February 13, 2021.
  21. ↑ iexplorer; Notopoulos, Katie (March 26, 2018). "How The Internet Failed Jessi Slaughter". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  22. ↑ Rachel Campbell (August 1, 2018) Blood On The Dance Floor's Dahvie Vanity accused of sexual assault Archived March 4, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Alternative Press, accessed March 18, 2020
  23. ↑ Schaffner, Lauryn (April 26, 2019). "Ash Costello Sheds Light on Dahvie Vanity Allegations". Loudwire. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  24. ↑ Have A Seat With Chris Hansen Ft. Damien Leonhardt f/k/a Jessi Slaughter Discussing Dahvie Vanity Archived December 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Chris Hansen. March 26, 2020. Via YouTube.
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