On Thursday, Bonny Eagle High School Resource Deputy Kim Emery from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office received notification from a Bonny Eagle High School official that a “bomb threat” had been received via a text message. The students and faculty were immediately evacuated, with the students being transferred to the middle school next door. Several other deputies and the Standish Fire Department responded to the school to assist with the evacuation and subsequent investigation.
The Maine State Police assisted the Sheriff’s Office dispatching three bomb-sniffing K-9 search teams for the purpose of searching the school and the grounds. During this time, deputies learned that at least two additional students had received a similar text message indicating in substance, that a bomb had been placed in the school and that the recipient had better tell the “principle or they would be dead.”
The received texts were initially untraceable as they appeared to have come via an unknown Intranet website. John Moran, an employee with the Cumberland County Information Technology Department, was summonsed to the school to assist with deciphering the text and its source. Technician Moran was able to determine that the website of “Pinger.com” was the source of the text. “Pinger.com” is a text-free application which can be downloaded to devices such as an iPod, iPhone, iTouch or Android. When the account is set up, a fictitious phone number is assigned to the account. When the message is received the number associated with the text is fictitious and difficult for the common user to trace.
During the investigation, Moran located the “Pinger” application on one of the student’s phones whom Deputy Emery was interviewing. Moran then contacted “Pinger.com” who provided him with an e-mail address. That address was subsequently entered into Facebook.com and the suspect was identified. When confronted with the information, the student admitted to sending the text to the recipients.
The student in question is a juvenile and has been charged with terrorizing, a class C felony. The student was summonsed and released to the custody of a parent. Due to the student’s age, their identity has not be released.
Capt. Jeff Davis of the Sheriff’s Office praised Deputy Emery and Technician Moran, saying “the perpetrator would not have been located if it was not for (their) dogged investigative work.
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