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High School

Florida teen charged with trying to hire hitman to kill high school staffer

By Robert Gearty Fox News
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A Florida teen has been arrested and accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill a staff member at his high school, authorities said Friday.

Nicholas Godfrey, 18, a student at Fivay High School in Hudson, was charged late Thursday with solicitation to commit murder, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say Godfrey sent an Instagram message to another Fivay student this week that said, "I need a guy who could kill someone," Fox 13 Tampa reported.

According to investigators, Godfrey said in another message he would give the student $100,000 to kill a staff member at the school, the station reported.

Mugshot for Nicholas Godfrey, 18

Mugshot for Nicholas Godfrey, 18 (Pasco County Sheriff's Office )

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"No joke, I need him eliminated as soon as possible," Godfrey was accused of saying.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the Instagram account and traced the IP address to Godfrey’s home, Fox 13 reported.

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When interviewed by detectives, Godfrey admitted to sending the messages and handed over the phone he used, the station reported.

“I want to thank the Pasco Sheriff's Office and Corporal Josh Peters for their intensive work and resources used to identify and arrest this student,” Fivay principal Jason Joens said on Facebook.

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“We know people sometimes struggle with the boundaries of social media, so it’s important to report any concerns you see. Thank you to staff and students that shared their concerns,” he added.