Location: Florida I’m a minor in and a few months ago, I commented on someone’s social media livestream . I found their address on a public site (Whitepages) and posted it, copied some explicit text I saw others using to bypass profanity filters, and jokingly said I was their sister. I didn’t mean to scare or harm them; I was just following a dumb trend I saw online. It was just me and them on the livestream, no other viewers. I had no prior contact with them, and no one else was involved.
The person reported me to their local police, and a detective called me and my parents, saying they have my IP, address, phone number, and social media usernames. They claim I was cyberstalking and pretending to be their parents (I only said sister). The detective said they’ll call again next week and that if I don’t admit anything, they have probable cause for a warrant to arrest me in my state or theirs. They also said the victim could press charges.
My parents won’t help me get a lawyer and say we can’t afford one. I no longer have access to the social media account I used. I know I messed up, but I didn’t think it would go this far. I’m scared about the police call and possible charges. What should I do? Can I get free legal help as a minor without my parents’ support? Are there defenses since the info was public and I didn’t mean harm? How serious is this for a minor with no prior record? Thanks for any advice