10 year old faces felony after spending $800 from his grandmother's credit card on MineCraft

[pjm0925]

She should have gone old school and beat him with a ruler.

[ericlee30]

The article is FALSE. In order for a theft crime to be a Felony, the amount has to be over $1000. Anything under $1000 is a misdemeanor, this law changed in 2005 in the U.S.A. Before 2005 to get a Felony for theft was anything over $500.

 

This kid is just going to get a slap on the wrist or Grandma is going to drop all charges.

[TheMissxu]

Wtf? You would cut of his toes? That's only 800$ that ain't that mutch. 

If given the option of limiting the boy's career and cutting his toe off -- I'd cut his toe off.

 

Obviously I wouldn't actually cut his toe off; I would probably talk to him and make him do extra things around the house. I agree $800 isn't that much.

[Eddyall]

Let me tell you the story of my childhood. 

 

As a kid i collected these things called Star Wars Miniatures. They were made by Wizards of The Coast. Every once and a while the Rare/Very Rare ones would go missing, or get stolen. We later found the culprit. My younger brother. Now we all know this just sounds harmless. However it's the principle. Stealing is stealing. No matter the age. If you want to blame anyone it's him. At 10 i knew better then to steal. So should he. Should also add i have some issues that would put me in a more than likely position to do stupid shit. Even at 10 you have enough knowledge to know that stealing is wrong.

 

Principle. I may sound cold but trust me it's better for the kid to learn the difference from right and wrong rather then go through life thinking he can do whatever he wants without consequence. If they don't end up charging him i guarantee he ends up in jail. 

 

SOMEONE ELSE WHO PLAY SWM!!!

Never thought I would see that here.

[Trommenissen]

Let me tell you the story of my childhood. 

 

As a kid i collected these things called Star Wars Miniatures. They were made by Wizards of The Coast. Every once and a while the Rare/Very Rare ones would go missing, or get stolen. We later found the culprit. My younger brother. Now we all know this just sounds harmless. However it's the principle. Stealing is stealing. No matter the age. If you want to blame anyone it's him. At 10 i knew better then to steal. So should he. Should also add i have some issues that would put me in a more than likely position to do stupid shit. Even at 10 you have enough knowledge to know that stealing is wrong.

 

Principle. I may sound cold but trust me it's better for the kid to learn the difference from right and wrong rather then go through life thinking he can do whatever he wants without consequence. If they don't end up charging him i guarantee he ends up in jail. 

 

So i am assuming you have never pirated something in your life then?

[Psychatog]

Kid should be punished with community service or something no doubt but that will b on his record forever.

[Canoas]

I'm pretty sure they can.

No, they cannot. At most they get sent to a juvenile correction facility and he would need to do a bit more than take 800$ from his grandmother.

[TheMissxu]

No, they cannot. At most they get sent to a juvenile correction facility.

Well... Isn't that basically the same thing?

 

In other words, "locked up."

[juretrn]

She's ruining the kids life... Might as well make him do the dishes for 100 hours ($8 an hour makes up for it).

Washing dishes for 8$ /hour?! DAMN! Where do I sign up?

[Canoas]

If given the option of limiting the boy's career and cutting his toe off -- I'd cut his toe off.

 

Kid should be punished with community service or something no doubt but that will b on his record forever.

 

Everything you do as a minor will get sealed in the youth records. Pretty much every crime besides murder or manslaughter is eventually sealed and no one can access it. Stealing less than 1000$ will definitely be sealed before he's even 16.

[TheMissxu]

Washing dishes for 8$ /hour?! DAMN! Where do I sign up?

Minimum wage in illinois is $8.50...

[Eddyall]

Of course it's in America. Are there not laws protecting children against things like this? Or is the US justice system as fucked up as it seems to be?

 

IIRC, Europe passed a law regarding in-APP purchase that said "if you're stupid enough to give a child a means to use your credit card without a password, your fault".

[TheMissxu]

Everything you do as a minor will get sealed in the youth records. Pretty much every crime besides murder or manslaughter is eventually sealed and no one can access it. Stealing less than 1000$ will definitely be sealed before he's even 16.

Cool. In that case, I don't care if he gets charged with a felony, even if it was by mistake.

I thought this would "ruin his life." That evidently isn't the case. It would be a hassle for sure, but the lesson would be taught.

 

But if I was given the choice, I'd still give him a talk, give him more chores, and maybe restricted his computer access.

[juretrn]

Minimum wage in illinois is $8.50...

Well, if I do the regular student work, I can get 4 € / hour, maybe 5.

[mr moose]

Is it possible that the $800 is mobile internet charges for playing minecraft on a tablet?  In any case it is the parent/grand parents responsibility.  I don't see why this is a big deal. punishing the kid for failed parenting is just mind blowingly silly.

[AlexGoesHigh]

MURICA

 

 

also how the hell can you spend 800$ on a game that cost 25$ (or what ever it cost on XBL)

[JaeDee884]

I can very easily tell everyone in the thread obviously doesn't know much about the legal system.

He's ten he'll be tried as a minor, aka no jail time, 10 year olds have committed murder and not experienced jail time before.

Having a criminal conviction as a minor will not impact your future, once your 18 the slate is clean, you think I'd be working in a school if the 9 assault charges that were against me at 15-17 we on record?

Court cases towards minors are designed purely to put fear in the child to make them realise their actions are wrong. Or to prove that the child understood they were in the wrong and are punished to community service and that stuff.

[TheMail]

Well that'll teach him. Im not kidding, I totally support the charges lol

[Kilerbomb]

... That's not how it works. 

Once it enters Felony charges, it ends up being the State (or wtv) vs the kid. Not his grandma. It's literally out of her hands at that point.

She still had to report it to them... So it's still her fault, all of this could have been prevented.

[btg0002]

I'm pretty sure that credit card theft is a felony no matter the amount of money "stolen" by charging the card, it's merely the act of using a stolen credit card that is the cause of the felony charge (could be wrong but this is how I believe this works) and the normal over $1000=felony for anything involving specie (paper currency)

[Purple]

Let me tell you the story of my childhood. 

 

As a kid i collected these things called Star Wars Miniatures. They were made by Wizards of The Coast. Every once and a while the Rare/Very Rare ones would go missing, or get stolen. We later found the culprit. My younger brother. Now we all know this just sounds harmless. However it's the principle. Stealing is stealing. No matter the age. If you want to blame anyone it's him. At 10 i knew better then to steal. So should he. Should also add i have some issues that would put me in a more than likely position to do stupid shit. Even at 10 you have enough knowledge to know that stealing is wrong.

 

Principle. I may sound cold but trust me it's better for the kid to learn the difference from right and wrong rather then go through life thinking he can do whatever he wants without consequence. If they don't end up charging him i guarantee he ends up in jail. 

 

I don't think most kids understand how credit cards work at the age of 10. 

[theNejCar]

 the kid, who at 10 years old is about as smart as the average dog

lol

[DarrenP]

I don't think most kids understand how credit cards work at the age of 10. 

He knew enough to plug the number in.

[DarrenP]

When i was 10, i thought i was the richest kid in the world if i had a 5 dollar bill in my pocket. Obviously this kid had to have some knowledge of what he was doing. 

[Fetzie]

1. He won't land in jail because he's 10

2. He won't land in juvenile detention because he's 10

3. If he gets anything, then it'll be sealed and not visible to future employers because he is under 18.