Kids are kids until 18 because people mature at different rates. At 18 it is safe to assume most have matured enough. This kid could be 18 mentally, but he could also be 13 mentally.
Why are you trying emotional manipulation in order to justify punishing this one kid as if he was an adult?
Here, let me show you what you just did. Let me introduce you to Steve. His life was ruined because he made a deepfake of a girl he likes and sent it to his friend, but he shouldn’t have trusted that friend, because the deepfake then found itself on every phone in class. Steve got a 3 year sentence, forcing early dropout, and due to his permanent mark, he would forever be grouped with rapists and could never find a job. He killed himself at 21. And you claim it’s not that bad? The fuck is wrong with you?
I don’t think maturity is an explicit thing in a binary form, i would be ok with the presumption that the age of 18 provides a general expected range of maturity between individuals, it’s when you start to develop your world view and really pick up on the smaller things in life and how they work together to make a functional system.
I think the idea of putting a “line” on it, is wrong, i think it’s better to describe it “this is generally what you expect from this subset”
You right his parents have to be punished. They didn’t teach him how to respect other properly.
In terms of paying for damages, you are correct. Sending them to jail though…
Yes, he should face consequences the same way any child should face consequence, by being grounded and shamed, maybe he loses his allowance and gets a suspension.
You don’t charge kids as adults, period. They’re stupid, they sometimes (often) don’t think of the consequences. They deserve more chances.