TORONTO – Justin Carter, the U.S. teen jailed for terrorist threats after making a sarcastic comment on Facebook, has been released on bail after being incarcerated for nearly five months.
The teen’s mother Jennifer Cart confirmed to Global News Friday that her son had been released from jail on Thursday thanks to an “anonymous generous benefactor” who donated the $500,000 needed to post bail – something his family could not afford.
“We have been so happy to spend time together,” Jennifer Carter told Global News via email.
Read More: U.S. teen jailed for terrorist threats after comments he made on Facebook
The 18-year-old was arrested Feb. 14 after engaging in an argument on Facebook over the online game “League of Legends.”
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When another user called him crazy and said he was “messed up in the head,” Carter fired back replying, “Oh yeah, I’m real messed up in the head, I’m going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts.”
The next lines the teen typed were “LOL” (laugh out loud) and “JK” (joking).
After the comments were reported by an anonymous Facebook user in Canada, Carter was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat. Both the teen and his parents maintain that the comment was made sarcastically – a search of the teen’s home turned up no weapons and the only item confiscated was his computer.
The teen had been on suicide watch during his last few weeks in jail, and his father told CNN during an interview that the teen had lost all hope.
Read More: U.S. teen jailed over Facebook comments reportedly on suicide watch
According to Jennifer Carter, the family is now preparing for Justin’s trial with the help of attorney Donald Flanary, who took on Justin’s case pro bono at the beginning of July.
In a previous interview with Global News, Justin’s mother said that she hoped her son’s case would educate teens around the world to be more careful about what they say online.
“I hope that teenagers realize that the stuff they are posting in anger or saying online in a social environment, such as Facebook or Twitter, is being seen by people that don’t know you… don’t understand your sense of humour,” said Carter.
“A lot of teens don’t think about the larger context about what they are saying on social networks.”
Justin Carter has a scheduled court hearing on July 16.
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