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Man sentenced to 5 years to life in prison for his role in Utah teen’s suicide

Posted at 11:38 AM, Dec 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-07 14:50:25-05

PROVO, Utah -- A man was sentenced to five years to life in prison for child abuse homicide after prosecutors say he goaded a teenage girl into taking her own life and filmed her death.

Tyerell Przybycien, 19, pleaded guilty to a child abuse homicide as a first-degree felony in October of this year.

Friday he was sentenced to five years to life for child abuse homicide and up to five years for sexual exploitation of a minor. Both sentences may be served concurrently.

Przybycien was accused of goading 16-year-old Jchandra Brown into taking her own life in Payson Canyon.

Prosecutors allege the man purchased a rope, tied a noose and filmed the suicide.

With no laws in Utah relating to assisting another person in a suicide, prosecutors filed a murder charge against the man before reaching a plea deal.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-273-TALK. Utahns can also visit Hope4Utah and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center for additional resources. You can also download the SafeUT app for instant, confidential crisis services.