Teen in Philadelphia Facing Intimidation Charges For Running Instagram Account That Outed "Rats"

Police say 17-year-old has been taken into custody

PHILADELPHIA — A teen faces charges of intimidation and terroristic threats in connection with a social media account that revealed the names of victims and witnesses in criminal cases, police said.

The 17-year-old was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the now-shuttered anonymous Instagram account, said Officer Tanya Little, a police spokeswoman.

Little said the boy is alleged to have been the owner of the "rats215" account — a reference to Philadelphia's area code — that posted affidavits and photos of victims and complainants in criminal cases.

"There was a lot of information there … a lot of information that was not for public viewing," Little said Wednesday.