DETROIT _ Two teens have been charged in connection with a pornographic billboard display along Interstate 75 in Michigan in October.
Auburn Hills Police Department charged a 16-year-old from South Lyon and an 18-year-old from Sterling Heights, said Auburn Police Department Lt. Ryan Gagnon.
The 16-year-old, who was responsible for going into the shed and posting the X-rated video display, this week was placed in a juvenile diversion program. If he complies with the program, he will not face formal charges, Gagnon said.
The 18-year-old was charged with trespassing in November, Gagnon said.
Gagnon said the department was able to identify the two teenagers through anonymous tips.
The teens entered the building where the billboard controls were located around 10:49 p.m. Sept. 28 and were in the space for about 15 minutes, according to police.
Police received reports of pornographic videos being displayed on the electronic freeway billboard, located on the east side of I-75 south of M-59, around 11 p.m. By the time officers arrived, the videos had been playing for 15-20 minutes before being turned off, according to Auburn Hills police.
The two teens were able to enter the space through the 6-foot fence, which had been previously damaged. The shed was unlocked when they entered because the company that owned the shed had forced their way into the building when the locks froze over and never replaced them, Gagnon said.
The billboard was operated by a laptop in the shed at the time of the incident as opposed to being operated remotely like most digital billboards. Gagnon said the display was shut down for several days while it was changed to be accessed remotely to avoid a repeat of the situation.
As for how the two teens knew about the billboard's unique setup, Gagnon said he suspects a bit of deduction was at play.
"That is unclear how exactly they thought about this or why they chose this, other than you can obviously see a shed underneath the sign and maybe curiosity piqued their interest whether or not they could get in, maybe that ran the billboard," he said. "You look at any other billboard and there is no shed underneath it."
