STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Two Arrests Made in Texas Teen’s Rape

Will Jada finally get her justice?

Two arrests have been made in the rape of Jada*, a 16-year-old Texas girl who was assaulted earlier this year, according to an interview she and Black Panther Party activist Quanell X gave to MSNBC's Ronan Farrow

Her sexual assault went viral over the summer, and she decided to speak out by telling her story to the media. She stated that while at a party, she was drugged, raped and videotaped. Not too soon after, the photos and video had made its way to social media, where she was taunted, teased and blamed for her own attack. 

She recently told Farrow, "I would like to see justice. Justice in full effect and that's it."

Quanell X also hopes that the media attention and Twitter hashtag in support of Jada, #IAmJada, will encourage lawmakers to do more to protect victims against cyberbullying.

“I believe that we’re attempting to work with state legislatures right here in Texas to make cyber bullying a crime," he said. "Because you have so many people out there who are victims of sexual assault but they don’t want to be bullied through social media, so they tend to keep their stories to themselves and never come forth."

He added, "We don’t want to allow social media, which has been a gift and a curse in many cases, to stop victims from speaking up about being a victim of a sexual assault or a crime."

Jada admitted that gaining support from her peers hasn't been easy. She said, “From my community, there's very little support still, such as the teenagers, but as adults, they're very supportive. And people outside of my community are very supportive."

Yet, she is still optimistic about her future.

“I would like to keep working on this with others, other people who are going through this in the near future. But I would like to go to college and then become a pharmacist.”

*Editor’s Note: Normally news outlets do not share or publish the names of rape victims as a means of protecting their identity. However, “Jada” and her mother gave the news consent to use her first name when reporting on her story.

BET National News - Your source for Black news from around the world, including international politics, health and human rights, the latest celebrity news and more. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

(Photo: MSNBC)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.