Social media has the potential to be an incredibly powerful tool, which is exactly why a group of women are using platforms like TikTok to spread awareness about a notorious convicted sex offender.
Brock Turner first made international headlines in 2015, after he was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow Stanford University student.
After being convicted of committing the assault, the former college athlete was released having served just six month in jail, much to the dismay of many.
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Turner's case courted headlines all around the world, partly thanks to his status as a star swimmer for Stanford.
Now living in the US state of Ohio, women have taken to Facebook and TikTok to try and warn those who are in the area that a convicted sex offender is nearby, Vice reports.
“Brock Turner is now living in [...] Ohio,” one recent post on Facebook read.
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“He is frequenting bars in the area. Inform the women of who he is. Inform the bartender, bouncers. Brock Turner does not belong in public.”
Versions of that post have popped up repeatedly on Facebook over the last several weeks.
“Just trying to spread awareness that this r@pist is back in our midst. Please tell your female and femme-presenting friends, family members, co-workers, literally everyone. This man does not deserve peace," another post read.
The reemergence of warnings from women online arguably speaks to the lack of faith that many have in the US justice system.
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One such critic of that justice system is victim of Turner's assault Chanel Miller.
In an impactful statement which was read at her assailant's sentencing, Miller described the anger and frustration she felt over how the case was handled.
“I will use Brock’s name, but the truth is he could be Brad or Brody or Benson, and it doesn’t matter,” she wrote.
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In the comments section of several viral TikTok videos relating to Turner's whereabouts, many were urging women in Ohio to stay vigilant.
“It’s scary to know that these types of ‘men’ get a slap on the wrist (if that) and then get to go on about their lives as if nothing happened,” one post read. “Please be vigilant, ladies. We are not safe.”
“Put everybody on high alert,” one woman declared in the comments.
Others, meanwhile, decried the fact that he was released from prison after just six months, expressing frustration at the criminal justice system as whole.
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"Thank you for sharing. I am in Cincinnati. His victim's name is Chanel Miller. Read her memoir last year. He shouldn't have been released," another TikTok user said.
"That case destroyed me. Three months at the county jail where his parents brought his favourite foods," a second person added.
Out of 1,000 sexual assaults committed in the US, just 25 result in the perpetrator being incarcerated, according to RAINN, the nation’s premiere anti-sexual assault advocacy organisation.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivor’s Trust for free on 08088 010 818, or through their website thesurvivorstrust.org
Topics: TikTok, Viral, Social Media, US News, Facebook, True crime, Crime
Tom Fenton