Content creation is a billion-dollar industry that can make a star out of just about anyone. Millions of people seek viral fame, but only a rare few can actually make a living from their phone. Jack Tyler Laroche, a 22-year-old man from Georgia, reportedly traveled to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville on August 21 to film content. While he was there, he allegedly took advantage of a student with autism in the hopes of creating content. He now faces criminal charges in connection with his cruel prank.
Laroche allegedly targeted the student.
According to University of North Florida Police Department reports obtained by UNF news outlet Spinnaker, Laroche, who isn’t a student, began following the student around campus. The student reportedly noticed Laroche and went into a lobby bathroom to escape him. While inside, Laroche allegedly trapped the student in a stall, demanded his phone number, and placed him in a headlock. Laroche then flicked the student’s face, ultimately breaking his glasses.
Laroche reportedly intimidated the student.
People reported that Laroche allegedly was in the stall next to the victim and spoke to him over the partition before joining him inside the stall. The content creator then forced the student to set a 10-minute timer on his phone and said he could not leave before it went off or he would “come back and get you.” Surveillance reportedly showed Laroche entering the bathroom around 3:45 p.m. and exiting 14 minutes later. The student told police he stayed in the stall because he was afraid.
The student went straight to campus police.
According to People, the student told campus police what happened and gave them Laroche’s phone number. The suspect allegedly said he was 65-year-old Jack Jones and claimed to be in Georgia. When police located him on campus later that day, Laroche reportedly again used the Jones alias, but this time claimed he lived on the UNF campus, but could not identify his dorm.
Police arrested Laroche.
The victim identified Laroche, who was evidently soaking wet and bleeding from a small cut when police found him. After initially denying entering any campus building, Laroche admitted to using the bathroom, but said he’d never seen the student before.
Police took Laroche into custody, and he now faces charges of abuse of a disabled adult without causing great bodily harm, false imprisonment, and giving a false name to law enforcement, per Spinnaker. A judge set his bond at $22,509. The judge also stipulated he could not be within 500 feet of the student or his residence.
Following his arrest, he allegedly told police hw was on campus to record YouTube content and was just “f—–g around.”…