Justin Bieber: The next anti-cyberbullying advocate?
Loading...
| Mineola, New York
闯耻蝉迟颈苍听叠颈别产别谤'蝉听苍别飞 anti-cyberbullying video helped his manager and a record executive resolve a legal predicament.
The video released Wednesday by a New York prosecutor is part of a plea deal settling misdemeanor charges filed after a fan frenzy at a mall in 2009.
The manager and executive were arrested after police ordered a聽Bieber聽autograph session at a clothing store, shut down over fears someone could get hurt. More than 3,000 teens and younger girls had arrived by one p.m. for an event scheduled for four p.m., leading to the cancellation.
Bieber聽never appeared, but police said at one point while they were trying to disperse the crowd, they were hindered by a message from聽Bieber's聽Twitter account stating: "On my way to Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, NY to sign and meet fans! I'm pumped. See u there."
Prosecutors said police had asked聽Bieber's聽staff to send a tweet from his account to notify fans that the event was cancelled. Though they tried, Island Def Jam Record Music Group employees were unable to tweet on Bieber's聽account because the singer's manager, Scott Braun, had changed the account's password to prevent anyone from聽canceling聽the event.
About 90 minutes after the police made their initial request, they said Braun sent two tweets聽canceling聽the event, and the crowd dispersed within 15 minutes, prosecutors said.
Braun and Def Jam Records executive James Roppo were charged with misdemeanors. The charges were later dropped in a plea agreement that permitted聽Bieber's聽record company and a management company to plead guilty to fire code violations, as well as reimburse Nassau County almost eight thousand dollars.
The agreement also called for聽Bieber聽to record the anti-cyberbullying public service announcement video.
During the 11-minute video introduced by Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, whose office negotiated the plea deal,聽Bieber聽speaks to a Long Island high school student about her experiences with cyberbullying. An attorney also offers definitions on cyberbullying, sexting and other offenses and warns teens they could be subject to criminal prosecutions if they are caught.
"The Internet can be used as a place to have a greater positive impact on the world,"聽Bieber聽tells viewers. "The Web should be used to inspire others, not spread hate or hurt."
Rice said after the plea agreement was released that both the record company's and聽Bieber's聽management "have learned from this incident, and since the Roosevelt Field appearance, have successfully implemented carefully executed safety plans at other venues."
Rice also announced that a website had been established for students to seek help on cyberbullying and other issues.
A spokesman for聽Bieber聽did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.