Teen Girl Sentenced to 58 Years in Prison After She Ra…See more…

The Bottom Line

The headline “Teen Girl Sentenced to 58 Years in Prison After She Ra…” is shocking, but the story behind it should not automatically be accepted as fact.

There are real cases involving teenagers and extraordinarily long sentences, including a verified 58-year sentence imposed on a male teenager in Indiana. But that is not evidence that the viral story about a teenage girl is genuine.

Until the identity of the girl, the court, the charges and the sentencing record can be independently verified, the responsible conclusion is simple:

Treat the viral headline as unconfirmed rather than established news.

Sometimes the most important part of a sensational story isn’t the shocking number in the headline. It’s checking whether the story behind that number is actually true.