Bus Tormentors Could Be Tried As Adults

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Feb 26, 2009 9:15PM

A trio of Indiana boys, all students at Portage High School, may be tried as adults for terrorizing classmates on a bus. A hearing has been set for March after The Porter County Prosecutor's office has filed papers to try the trio - Ashley Javon Toney, 17; Joe Francisco Carnell, 17; and Charles McCloud-Smith, 16 - as adults. As for the alleged crimes themselves, they're quite eye-opening and instead of attempting to recap them, we'll just go with what WBBM outlined in their article.

McCloud-Smith faces the most charges if charged as an adult, five of them felonies that include sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, two counts strangulation and intimidation. Four misdemeanors include public indecency and criminal recklessness.

Court records state that he's accused of inappropriately groping one girl, trying to choke and force another's face to his exposed genitals and making a blowtorch on the moving bus from a can of deodorant and a lighter. The highest felony carries a sentence of up to eight years.

Toney would face three counts of felony sexual battery against three girls and a felony confinement charge, accused of holding her against her will. His three misdemeanor charges would be public indecency, criminal recklessness and disorderly conduct. The highest felony carries a sentence of up to eight years.

Carnell faces three felonies and three misdemeanors. His felony charges are attempted sexual battery, strangulation and intimidation. He allegedly pushed a girl's head toward McCloud-Smith's genitals and threatened to kill another girl because he was "sick" of her and said he knew how to kill her and disappear so neither would be found. His misdemeanors are two counts of battery against two girls and criminal recklessness. The highest felony carries a sentence of up to eight years.

Since the charges came to light a few weeks ago, the boys have been suspended from school.