The 24-year sentence for vehicular murder that Cameron Herrin received in Tampa started in April. By the beginning of July, a social media army operating on the other side of the globe was unleashing a digital barrage against everybody connected to his case.
Comments with the hashtags “Cameron Herrin” or “justice for Cameron” flooded the accounts of the 13th Circuit Court, Hillsborough County state’s attorney Andrew Warren, Florida Department of Corrections, Tampa Bay Times, and several regional television news outlets on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Posting in a combination of English and Arabic, many of them looked to be from the Middle East. They shared footage of Herrin responding to his punishment set to Britney Spears’ Criminal, as well as love and broken heart emoticons.
They shared both fan art depicting Herrin as an anime character and private images of him dating back to middle school. Let’s find out in further detail what did Cameron Herrin do to go to jail. But first, let’s throw some shadow on Cameron’s backdrop.
Cameron Herrin is well-known on the TikTok platform
He has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. On September 9th, 1999, Herrin was conceived. Herrin is an American citizen and a Virgo by birth sign. Cheryl and Chris, respectively, are the names of his mother and father. Tristan, his elder brother, who has been his role model since he was a little child, is the brother he has.
Cameron and Tristan were constant companions, engaging in activities and sharing time. The mother, Cheryl, works as a vice president for State Farm Insurance Company, while the father, Chris, is a film editor and director. Seven years after Herrin’s birth, the family moved to Tampa, Florida. Tampa Catholic School accepted Herrin. He enrolled in Texas Tech University after receiving his diploma.
Herrin, despite his fame on TikTok, was a speed-loving automobile aficionado. He also engaged in illegal street racing, earning the moniker “Racer.” He frequently used the big beachfront walkway in Bayshore. His involvement in racing was what brought about his downfall.
What Did Cameron Herrin Do To Go To Jail?
In honor of Herrin’s graduation from Tampa Catholic School in 2018, his parents gave him a brand-new Mustang. The 24-year-old Jessica Reisinger-Raubenolt was carrying her kid in a stroller two days after receiving his high school diploma when Herrin, traveling at 102 mph, allegedly hit them. They were engaged in street-car racing on Bayshore Boulevard with a buddy from high school, Barrineau.
According to the Times, there was a 45 mph restriction. Authorities said that the mother was flung at least 40 feet. About 70 feet distant, the baby and stroller fell. When Raubenolt arrived at Tampa General Hospital, medical workers quickly pronounced her dead.
Police said that her daughter passed on the next day. Cameron Herrin first entered a “not guilty” plea in court, but he then altered his plea and acknowledged the crime. It was not until April 2021 that the courts handed down their verdict, which resulted in Cameron Herrin receiving a 24-year jail sentence.
The Florida Department of Corrections Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando received a deluge of calls when Herrin was transferred from the Hillsborough County Jail. They also stole one of the guards’ social media accounts and discovered their phone numbers there, according to Cheryl Herrin. As a result, her son was placed in “solitary confinement” and was unable to contact his family.
Once more, Herrin was later sent to the Graceville Correctional Facility, which is close to the Alabama state boundary. His security classification is “close custody,” which is normal for newly admitted convicts and one step below the maximum. Records indicate that he has no disciplinary issues and is residing in a dormitory with other prisoners from the general population.
TikTok Users Started #JusticeForCameron Trend
On separate occasions, users from TikTok and Twitter came together in support of Herrin’s cause and demanded that his jail term be reduced for a variety of reasons, including the disparity in terms that have been handed down for offenses that are quite similar to his.
In an effort to refute the idea that bots are being utilized to boost the #JusticeForCameron hashtag, several users have chosen to incorporate the phrase “we are people, not bots” in their posts. On the social media network, the now-23-year-old TikToker has racked up over 2 million followers and developed a sizable fan base. Sometimes ardent followers go too far in their devotion, frequently putting their moral compass to the side.
Even after receiving a jail term, Cameron Herrin’s supporters pushed for his early release, arguing that the TikToker is “too charming” to spend time behind bars and that the penalty is too severe. The mother of Herrin was interviewed by the Tampa Bay Times on her son’s recent obsession, which she described as “almost an obsession, an unhealthy obsession.”
Cheryl is aware that some of the people engaged are real since several of them phone her at odd hours from nations in the Middle East. The source claims that 900 Twitter accounts that posted material about Herrin was suspended for breaking community rules, which caused over 90,000 messages to vanish.
After what did Cameron Herrin do, he has already received a judgment and has been imprisoned for it. There’s little chance that a social media uproar would affect his appeal in any way. An international protest from non-citizens may be given much less credence.