Social media users are seemingly rallying around a TikTok user who killed a mother and child, arguing he deserves a lesser prison sentence because he’s ‘too cute’.
Cameron Herrin was sentenced in April 2021 to 24 years in prison, six years short of the maximum of 30, after pleading guilty to killing Jessica Raubenolt and her 20-month-old daughter Lillia by hitting them with his Ford Mustang while racing the car against another vehicle in Tampa, Florida in 2018.
Following the sentencing, numerous social media accounts began sharing posts including the words ‘justice for Cameron’ on the Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages of the 13th Circuit Court, Hillsborough County state attorney Andrew Warren and the Florida Department of Corrections, while on TikTok many users called for a shorter sentencing for Herrin, though many of these posts may not be from real people.
According to The Tampa Bay Times, there has been discussion about whether many of these postings were made by bots because they resemble paid influence efforts that use phoney accounts. However, several people have made an effort to refute this hypothesis by stating that they are human in their posts.
Hannah Kosh, a TikToker, read aloud some of the comments on Herrin’s sentencing as she spoke about the support system for him. One of the comments said, “Poor guy, I hope they will forgive him.” He appears to be innocent; he wasn’t intending to do anything.
You’re too cute, I fell in love with a criminal, said another person.
The judge who delivered Herrin’s sentence said at the time that the TikToker’s track record of excessive speeding contributed to his decision to give him 24 years in prison.
