The Other McCain

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Online Evidence Shows Kaitlyn Hunt Contacted Victim After Sex Arrest

Posted on | June 11, 2013 | 63 Comments

At least twice in May, accused sex offender Kaitlyn Ashley Hunt used her Twitter account to “favorite” messages by the girl she has admitted having sex with when the younger girl was only 14.

The “favorites,” which occurred just days before Hunt’s family launched a high-profile “Free Kate” campaign to persuade Florida authorities to end the prosecution of felony charges against the 18-year-old, could violate customary legal requirements that forbid criminal suspects released on bond from contacting their victims.

On Sunday, May 12, Kaitlyn Hunt clicked “favorite” on two messages by the younger girl, who turned 15 in April, more than two months after Hunt was arrested and charged with two felony counts under Florida law that establishes the legal age of consent at 16. While a Twitter “favorite” is visible to the person who sent the original message, it does not show up on the timeline of the person who “favorites” the message, so that the younger girl could see Kaitlyn’s “favorite,” but no one monitoring Kaitlyn’s account would have noticed it. Therefore, these “favorites” — shortly before 7 p.m. May 12 — may have been attempts by Hunt to send a signal to the younger girl. Click on any of the images to see them larger:


Here is a close-up of Hunt’s “favorite” on the second message, enlarged to show it was sent from Hunt’s account (click on image to see larger):

Hunt’s Twitter account (@katebbbyy) was deleted after her attorney hired a public-relations firm. Critics of the “Free Kate” campaign,  had called attention to content on the accused teenager’s Twitter account that contradicted the claims of her defenders that Hunt was a “model citizen” prior to her arrest on charges of lewd and lascivious battery on a child. The Hunt family have claimed their daughter is a victim of “hate and bigotry” of the younger girl’s parents who objected to a “mutual consenting relationship” between the girls. In a May 17 Facebook message that started the “Free Kate” campaign, Kaitlyn’s mother Kelley Hunt Smith named the younger girl’s parents nine times, saying they were “trying to ruin my daughters life” because they are “bigoted, religious zealots.”

In an online petition, also published May 17, Hunt’s father claimed that sex between his daughter and the younger girl occurred when Kaitlyn was 17 and her victim was 15. In fact, Kaitlyn turned 18 before she ever met the younger girl, who was 14 throughout their sexual involvement, which began in December when they had sex in a restroom toilet stall at Sebastian River High School, where Hunt was a senior and the 14-year-old was a freshman.

In the online petition, which garnered more than 300,00 signatures, Steve Hunt described his daughter’s involvement with the 14-year-old as an innocent “high school romance,” and did not mention an incident in January where the younger girl ran away from home to have sex with his Kaitlyn. The parents of the 14-year-old told a local TV station that they feared their daughter had been abducted, but later learned she had been picked up by Kaitlyn and taken to the Hunt family’s home for a night of sex. The younger girl’s parents said they twice asked Kaitlyn to leave their daughter alone, and only in February reported the case to authorities.

When more facts about the case became public — the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office released the arrest affidavit on May 20 — some of Hunt’s original supporters repudiated the “Free Kate” campaign. On May 23, Joan McCarter of the progressive Daily Kos site said that “the initial dishonesty of Hunt’s parents” made the story “problematic,” and deactivated a Daily Kos petition on Hunt’s behalf.

However, corrections of facts in the case came too late to spare the younger girl and her parents from harassment by Hunt’s online supporters, who “doxed” the victim’s family May 19-20 — publicizing their home and workplace addresses and phone numbers — after denouncing them as a “f–king bunch of bible-thumpers.”

Evidence that Kaitlyn Hunt was using the Twitter “favorite” tool to communicate online with the younger girl would appear to violate the usual terms under which accused criminals are released on bond. Records at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office show Hunt was released on $2,500 bond the day she was arrested, Feb. 16. Violation of terms of release can result in revocation of bond.

On May 24, Hunt rejected a plea bargain offer by prosecutors that would have permitted her to avoid prison. Her attorney has asked for a postponement of court trial in the case.

 

Comments

63 Responses to “Online Evidence Shows Kaitlyn Hunt Contacted Victim After Sex Arrest”

  1. BobBelvedere
    June 11th, 2013 @ 11:50 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Online Evidence Shows Kaitlyn Hunt Contacted Victim After Sex Arrest http://t.co/0heDUA6Jru #TCOT

  2. Anon
    June 11th, 2013 @ 11:55 pm

    She did the same on instagram. I went to go get the evidence, but she deleted the account. This is a violation of her no contact order which stated no direct or indirect contact. REVOKE THE BOND!

  3. robertstacymccain
    June 12th, 2013 @ 12:04 am

    Shouldn’t prosecutors or detectives have already noticed this? Wouldn’t it be routine to get warrants/subpoenas for all online communications of a suspect in a case like this?

  4. robertstacymccain
    June 12th, 2013 @ 12:06 am

    On the other hand — thinking back to some other cases involving social media — I get the idea that a lot of people in the legal community don’t really understand how some of this stuff works.

  5. rmnixondeceased
    June 12th, 2013 @ 1:30 am

    We truly are in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah!

  6. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 12th, 2013 @ 1:38 am

    If this was George Zimmerman contacting the family of Trayvon Martin, could you imagine the outcry? Yet in a sexual abuse case Kaitlyn contacts the victim? There should be complete outrage.

  7. Ric the Magnificent
    June 12th, 2013 @ 1:58 am

    Once there is comprehension of this by authorities, it will certainly affect the outcome of the trial. Twitter “favorite” is an indirect form of communication. The “favorite” is acknowledgement that the victim’s tweets were being read by the offender

  8. Cmate
    June 12th, 2013 @ 5:16 am

    Geez, someone rapes your 14 yr old daughter and it’s you who gets the death threats. Sometimes I think I’m living in a parallel universe.

  9. Ivory
    June 12th, 2013 @ 6:57 am

    Saw the same on Instagram but deleted when I went back to look for it.
    RSMcCain you should forward everything you have to state attorney’s office post haste.

  10. RichardReeb
    June 12th, 2013 @ 7:11 am

    @smitty_one_each Sigh. If this 18 yo was a boy, this would be a very different story. As this should be.

  11. Jeanette Victoria
    June 12th, 2013 @ 7:59 am

    The Hunt didn’t do their daughter any favor by bringing this case to the public. In fact I expect they harmed her because we can see that little St Kate believed the truth and rules were for others and not her or her family.

  12. Jeanette Victoria
    June 12th, 2013 @ 8:00 am

    They don’t which is why some hire people like me

  13. robertstacymccain
    June 12th, 2013 @ 8:39 am

    The Hunt family’s behavior has been strange but, then again, they’re obviously a strange family.

  14. Meg
    June 12th, 2013 @ 8:48 am

    Right? And then the Hunts complain of a lack of privacy at home when people against the Free Kate movement show up there. But it’s fine if supporters harass the other girl and her family. Go figure

  15. Matthew W
    June 12th, 2013 @ 9:10 am

    Yep !!
    You had posted stories before about some other folk being electronically harassed (can’t recall names!!) and the DA was clueless about the technology.

  16. Jeanette Victoria
    June 12th, 2013 @ 9:23 am

    These people are remarkably ignorant about social media and the internet.

  17. Jeanette Victoria
    June 12th, 2013 @ 9:31 am

    The Hunts and their supporter are clueless about the
    law. Here where I live I know a young man who is in jail because he had relations with a 14 year old. I met her she claimed she was 21 and looked 21. It seems she has a hobby of going onto social media claiming she is a single 21 years old and looking for a nice boyfriend. She then seduces them and afterward reports them to the police; she has so far put 6 men in jail. You see it doesn’t matter if the under age person is a psychopathic predator, she is still underage.

  18. RhymesWithRight
    June 12th, 2013 @ 10:01 am

    Why hasn’t this been brought to the judge? Why hasn’t she been jailed for violating the conditions of her release by contacting her victim?

  19. Bob Belvedere
    June 12th, 2013 @ 11:17 am

    This also shows that reporters should go grab screenshots, download timelines, etc. before they publish a story [like you did with this one].

  20. Bob Belvedere
    June 12th, 2013 @ 11:18 am

    If you live in a place with a lot of Irishmen, it would be ‘Sodom And Begorrah’.

  21. Bob Belvedere
    June 12th, 2013 @ 11:18 am

    You are, Cmate – a Leftist one.

  22. Bob Belvedere
    June 12th, 2013 @ 11:19 am

    …and riddled with the Leftist Virus.

  23. Bob Belvedere
    June 12th, 2013 @ 11:20 am

    In the halls of justice, the only justice is in the halls.

  24. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 12th, 2013 @ 2:25 pm

    An Irish Homosexual: Is a man who likes sex with women over beer and whiskey.

  25. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 12th, 2013 @ 2:26 pm

    Most criminals are stupid.

  26. sjreidhead
    June 12th, 2013 @ 8:23 pm

    Am I that dense that I just don’t get this with these people? Are they that brazen they think they can force the courts to do what they want, and lie their way through it? When can we call this stalking? When do we get to say that Kate Hunt was ‘grooming’ the Smith child? That is clearly what this is.

    SJR

  27. All's Fair... - Lowering the Boom
    June 12th, 2013 @ 11:10 pm

    […] Now this comes to light… Kate appears to have made contact with the victim after her […]

  28. Alessandra
    June 13th, 2013 @ 3:41 pm

    Someone rapes your 14 yr old daughter and you’re supposed to resolve this by chatting over tea instead of going to the police.

  29. pisspot1234
    June 14th, 2013 @ 10:48 am

    If he was Scottish he would be called a ” Gaylick”

  30. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 12:32 pm

    do you really think we
    leftists care what you think about us? If that’s the worst insult you can come up with I feel sorry for you

  31. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 12:34 pm

    and why do you need to be involved? the courts have enough evidence without malicious minded “concerned citizens” dying to help

  32. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 12:37 pm

    If this were your daughter and she had done exactly what Kate has do (saying my child wouldn’t is cheating and dodging the question) what would you do? Would you fight for her? Wtould you do everything you could for her? Or would you throw her away and say, “Sorry you did it?

  33. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 12:48 pm

    So now asking questions about the operations of our courts is malicious? Whatever happened to the First Amendment> And by the way — why do YOU have to be involved, you malignant abuse supporter?

  34. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 12:58 pm

    sticks and stones, rhymes, sticks and stones. and why are you so involved? Not everyone mirrors your opinions, you know. You may think you are right, but that don’t mean you are.

    BTW, what if Kate were your daughter? Would you throw her away or would you want to do anything you could for her?

  35. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 1:03 pm

    What i would not do is what Kate’s parents did — go viral with lies about what happened, about the prosecutor, and about the victim’s family, including their names! The whole reason there are so many people “involved” in this is because of Kate’s choices to abuse a child and her parents’ decision to spread lies.

    By the way — you do know that Kate talked to the cops and admitted to every element of the offense with which she is charged. In other words, SHE CONFESSED!

    And in the situation found in this post, what you have is evidence of an abuser violating a court order not to contact her victim or her victim’s family. Why shouldn’t people be asking why this matter has not been dealt with by the courts?

  36. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 1:04 pm

    If you don’t care, WTF are you doing here? Go away and quit making ignorant comments!

  37. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 1:09 pm

    Don’t you have a bridge to get back to? I mean, the billy goats may get across if you aren’t there to stop them.

  38. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 1:22 pm

    I did not ask what you would not do–asked what you would do. do you always evade direct questions

  39. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:11 pm

    love the way people like you revert to childish insults. And I did not make an ignorant comment, I simply told you something you did not want to hear. Grow up

  40. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:23 pm

    Why do I have to be involved? We dissenters won’t go because you want us to. Get used to it

  41. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:23 pm

    You act like you are entitled to have me answer how YOU want me to rather than how I choose to. Rather than playing a hypothetical game with you, I decided to deal with the facts of the case

  42. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:23 pm

    the operation of the courts is not malicious, but people like you obviously are.

  43. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:23 pm

    Now go get those billy goats off your bridge!

  44. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:25 pm

    leftist leftist leftist leftist
    and we’re here to stay.

  45. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:27 pm

    Odd — parroting your question back to you gets a hostile response. I guess your belief is that you need to be involved but that the rest of us have no place involving ourselves.

  46. RhymesWithRight
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:30 pm

    You declared that asking questions about the operation of our courts is malicious — but the hate you spew is somehow virtuous.

    BTW — why do you support adults having sex with kids? Is that a practice you engage in, or is it just one that you like to fantasize about when you aren’t trolling websites or chasing billygoats from your bridge.

  47. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:30 pm

    baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

  48. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:31 pm

    Interesting how you don’t want to answer a direct question. I’d love to have you on the witness stand in a trial–the judge would make you answer if you wanted to or not

  49. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:34 pm

    All you people expending all your hate on an 18 year old girl. Bet you all call yourselves Christians too. God is about forgiveness, but somehow that fact seems to elude you. Guess your opinions matter more than God’s eh?

  50. Martyy Reeh
    June 17th, 2013 @ 2:40 pm

    If 18 year olds are adults by label only. This case would not be prosecuted as it is in all 50 states–or didn’t you research that? In FL, if Kate had been 23 and the other girl 16 she would not face charges of such severity. As it is since she is less than 4 years older, biologically, the prosecutor had the option of less severe charges, only he’s choosing to go after her. don’t believe me, do some research, like I do for a living.

    oh and lest I forget baaaaaaaaa