[DiamondSmiles]

Teen Sex Assault Suspects Released to Parents' Custody

April 24, 2013

By Tony Kovaleski and Damian Trujillo, NBC Bay Area

The three 16-year-old boys charged in connection with the sexual assault of a high school classmate who later committed suicide have been released to their parents' custody.

There are several conditions of their release, the source said, including wearing an ankle bracelet and remaining under house arrest.

The teens were arrested April 11 in connection with sexually assaulting Audrie Pott, 15, at a Labor Day party September 2. Authorities say the girl felt humiliated and cyber bullied and committed suicide eight days after the assault. All of the teens had attended Saratoga High School.

In addition to the criminal charges, the Pott family, through attorney Bob Allard, has filed a wrongful death suit against the teens.

In a statement last week, the boys' lawyers have called much of the reporting about the assault "inaccurate" and distanced their clients from the alleged crime and Audrie's suicide. "Most disturbing is the attempt to link Audrey's [sic] suicide to the specific actions of these three boys," some of the statement read.

NBC doesn't normally identify victims of sexual assault or suicide, but have used the girl’s name in this report with her parents’ permission. The Pott family has said it hopes the story will help prevent something like this from happening again.

The teens have been charged as juveniles and their names and court proceedings are also not public.