Instagram Pulls Account That Exposes Philadelphia Rats

Police and prosecutors in Philadelphia are trying to find the source of an anonymous Instagram account that put up photographs and other identifying information about witnesses in violent crime cases.

The "RATS215" account, taken down Thursday by Instagram, outed more than 30 witnesses with police reports, photos and information about secret grand jury proceedings, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Police are investigating the account as an act of witness intimidation in a city with a long history of reluctant witnesses. Nearly 7,900 people were following RATS215, the paper reported.


One photo appeared to have been taken inside a courtroom while a witness was testifying. Another showed evidence and photos from a shooting victim whose case was in secret grand jury proceedings.

There were more than 150 photos and dozens of "likes" and comments on the account before it was shut down.

Police learned of the account last week when a 12th District police officer monitoring Twitter spotted photos of a witness and court records from a 2012 shooting law enforcement officials said. That led police to the Instagram account.

There, they found witness statements from the 19-year-old victim, who was not hit, according to Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives. The victim told police he was fired at in summer 2012 because he had testified in a homicide case.


Don't you know you can't expose snitches in this day & age.....


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