BARTOW, FL -- 18-year-old Mercades Nichols, one of the principal suspects in a videotaped beating last year, pleaded guilty Tuesday to battery and tampering with a witness.
According to the Lakeland Ledger, Nichols faces up to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service. She also must write letters of apology and she cannot have contact with the media for profit.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office alleged Nichols and seven other teenagers participated in the 2008 beating of Victoria Lindsay and threatening to post videos of it on YouTube and MySpace.
Five girls, Kayla Hassall, Mercades Nichols, Brittini Hardcastle, April Cooper, Brittany Mayes, were all charged with kidnapping and battery.
Charges were dropped against three others, Cara Murphy, Stephen Schumaker, and Zachary Ashley due to a lack of evidence.
