The culprit behind a creepy clown scare that sparked partial lock downs of schools across Prince George was sentenced to 18 months probation Thursday.
The 16-year-old boy, whose name is shielded from publication under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, also received a scolding.
Provincial court judge Dan Weatherly described the incident as a "serious matter" and if not for a favorable pre-sentence report, he would have been going to jail.
"And quite frankly, if you pull another stunt like this, that's where you're going, you understand?" Weatherly said.
School District 57 imposed a precautionary "code yellow" on Oct. 6 in response to a now-deleted "princegeorgeclowns" posting on Instagram. It showed a cartoon depiction of three people wearing "creepy clown masks" and holding firearms with the caption "every school in PG about to get hit."
It meant students could go about their normal business but without movement in and out of the schools. Local Catholic schools and Ecole Franco-Nord also took similar steps in response.
The move was made in consultation with Prince George RCMP, who described the threat as "non-credible" but concerning.
A second scare emerged the next day and led to another lockdown at six local high schools. But it was lifted by mid-morning.
During the hearing Thursday, the court heard the boy created the posting the evening before during a get-together with some friends at his home, simply to scare people.
Police originally arrested two boys but one was later released while the other was charged with mischief and uttering threats. He also spent 26 days in custody, where he went through a mental health assessment.
"He got talked into this by some friends one night in an attempt to gain their approval," defence counsel Keith Jones said. "It backfired on him completely and he ended up in custody for almost 30 days."
The boy had little to say when given an opportunity to speak to the court prior to sentencing but according to the pre-sentence report he has expressed remorse and guilt for his actions.
Conditions of his probation include staying away from any computers, smartphones or other electronic communication devices except under the direct supervision of school staff, his parents, or adult approved by his youth worker or with the worker's prior written consent.
He must also obey his parents and failure to do so could land him in jail, Weatherly warned.
"Take this very, very seriously because I do," Weatherly told the boy at the end of the hearing.
