The teen frequented an online story site to which junior high school age writers submit their original scary paranormal stories and horror fiction.
A 14-year-old girl in Port Richey, Florida, allegedly set fire to her home while her mother and brother were asleep.
The Latin Post reports the girl, who has not been identified based on laws to prevent the media from naming minors accused of crimes, doused a sheet in flammable substances, lit it on fire in her garage, and then went to a local park where she fell asleep in the park’s restroom.
The mother and brother were alerted to the fire by a smoke detector and vacated the house, according to the Tampa Tribune. Firefighters were able to put out the fire. The teen subsequently sent a remorseful text to her mother inquiring about her safety.
Slender Man, “an alleged paranormal figure,” who is male in presentation and rumored to kill children, purportedly influenced the girl to commit the act, which has resulted in her being charged with arson and two counts of attempted murder.
The teen frequented an online story site to which junior high school age writers submit their original scary paranormal stories and horror fiction. These stories, on CreepyPasta.com, often involve Slender Man, a figure created on a thread in the Something Awful Internet forum in 2009.
WTSP reports that a journal the girl kept had references to killing and exasperation about bedtime discipline by her mother.
The Port Richey event comes just months after two teenage girls in Milwaukee, WI, who stabbed their friend so many times she almost died, said Slender Man influenced their actions, according to CBSNews.com.
While there is no evidence that CreepyPasta.com is directly tied to the Florida girl’s actions, parents should be aware of what their children are reading and writing online.
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