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DA: Teens charged with ethnic intimidation for 'smack cam' video

Three Allentown high school students have been charged with ethnic intimidation for allegedly recording themselves bullying other students and posting the resulting “smack cam video” on Facebook.

Three Allentown high school students have been charged with ethnic intimidation for allegedly recording themselves bullying other students and posting the resulting "smack cam video" on Facebook.

The three males – two aged 15 and one aged 14 – are accused of selecting the victims, in part, because they are white, according to a news release from Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin.

The incident took place around 1 p.m. last Thursday at William Allen High School, an affidavit of probable cause states.

Three teens were sitting at a table in the school cafeteria when three other teens allegedly approached and started making comments. Prosecutors said the teens used profanities to mock the other students' race, stature and appearance, such as the glasses they were wearing.

The suspects used the racial slur "pink" in referring to the white victims, according to investigators.

Two of the teens allegedly decided to make a "smack cam video." Investigators said one of them began narrating and using his cell phone to record the video, which he called "Smack Cam 3."

Prosecutors said a third teen walked over to the table and slapped one of the victims in the back of the head as the other two suspects erupted in laughter.

One of the suspects allegedly sat at the table with the victims as another suspect made comments, using profanity and calling the victims names.

Investigators said the teen filming the incident then took close-ups of the three boys seated at the table and concluded the video by saying, "That was a Smack Cam 3. All right, we done."

An Allentown police detective last week conducted interviews at the school and reviewed the video, which was posted on one of the suspect's Facebook pages, according to investigators.

The three suspects, whose identities are not being released due to their ages, are charged with harassment, a summary offense, and ethnic intimidation, a third-degree misdemeanor.

Prosecutors said the teens will not likely be detained in connection with the charges. Their cases will be heard by a juvenile master in Lehigh County.