By-Line: Joseph Bober, FCSO
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 14-year-old female on felony charges after she posted a disturbing video to Snapchat containing violent threats targeting students at a high school in her former school system in Ohio.
On January 23, the FCSO Communications Center was contacted by an officer from the Logan (Ohio) Police Department regarding a perceived credible threat posted online by 14-year-old Lucy Huxtable, a Palm Coast resident. In the video, which was posted to a publicly accessible Snapchat story for the high school, Huxtable used multiple racial slurs and made explicit threats of violence, including a statement indicating her intention to harm members of the LGBTQ+ community.
During the investigation by FCSO’s Criminal Intelligence and Cyber Crimes units, detectives determined the video had been widely viewed by students at the Ohio high school and had caused significant concern to students, parents, and school officials.
Due to Huxtable’s prior involvement and familiarity with the targeted school system, detectives determined that her threats were intentional and motivated by bias against a protected class, specifically targeting victims within the LGBTQ+ community. Under Florida law, charges for a crime are enhanced if the crime is based on race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, or advanced age of the victim.
On January 24, Huxtable was arrested for Written or Electronic Threats to Kill with a hate crime enhancement. Huxtable was processed at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and transported to the Volusia County Juvenile Detention Center.
Lucy Huxtable (Flagler County Jail Mugshot)
“We will not tolerate any threat of violence, especially those that are made with hate and prejudice,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “If you threaten to hurt or kill someone just because of what they look like, where they’re from, or who they love, we will arrest you no matter how old you are. Parents, I urge you to be the Sheriff in your home and teach your children that all people are created equally and hating someone just because they are different than you is not acceptable behavior. Know what your children are posting before you find out when we show up at your door to arrest your child.”
FCSO has zero tolerance for hate crimes and is committed to addressing and combatting hate crimes in Flagler County. In 2023, FCSO received a $354,896 grant from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to improve the Agency’s monitoring and reporting capabilities of potential hate crimes and targeted violence before they occur.
Youngsters need someone to talk to God and or a neighbor who won’t take advantage of them . Some kid’s like they hurting inside and they need an out.