Police have charged three Long Pond Middle School eighth-graders with threatening other students in a series of online posts that were brought to the attention of authorities on New Year's Day.

ANDOVER TOWNSHIP -- Police have charged three Long Pond Middle School eighth-graders with threatening other students in a series of online posts that were brought to the attention of authorities on New Year's Day.

The defendants -- who include two 14-year-old girls from Andover Township, and a 13-year-old girl from Andover Borough -- have not been identified publicly by authorities because of their ages but have each been charged with one count of cyberharassment and one count of harassment.

Andover Township Police Chief Eric Danielson said Monday that police began their investigation in cooperation with the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office immediately after being alerted by members of the public to the posts on Sunday.

Police were later able to trace the posts to an Instagram account the girls had created for the purpose of targeting other members of the eighth-grade class.

Danielson said "the threats were specific in nature to certain students" and that the posts further indicated the threatened actions would be carried out when schools reopened today after being closed for the holidays last week.

"We were made aware of the situation (on Sunday) and wanted to act as quickly as possible so as to be able to carry on with the new year and with the opening of school from winter break without any issues," he said.

Danielson, who is also a member of the Andover Regional Board of Education, indicated that Andover Superintendent Matthew Beck was later briefed on the matter.

Danielson said he was not at liberty to elaborate on the specific content of the posts because they contained elements that could possibly be used to identify the intended victims.

However, a bulletin posted early Monday to the Andover Township Police Department's Facebook page indicated that the postings contained "a picture of the Andover Schools along with alarming content toward students."

An updated police bulletin late Monday noted that those responsible for the postings had since been charged.

The updated bulletin stated that while "there is NO credible threat to the Long Pond School, law enforcement along with the Andover Regional School District will be taking additional measures to ensure the safety of the students and the school."

Michael Fancher, president of the Andover Regional Board of Education, said Monday that he had since been made aware of the incident but that the board was not involved beyond that and that the police were handling it.

Under revisions to New Jersey law that took effect in January 2014, cyberharassment was carved out as a separate criminal offense carrying more serious penalties than other more general forms of harassment.

Cyberharassment in New Jersey is typically prosecuted as a fourth-degree felony, which is how the three juveniles are being charged, but it can also be prosecuted as a more serious third-degree offense if other aggravating factors are present. For an adult, a cyberharassment conviction can result in a felony record along with up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Harassment, except in rare cases, is generally charged as a less serious misdemeanor that, for an adult, can carry up to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail.

The three girls charged have all been given a date to appear in the state Superior Court family division in Newton. Because they are minors, the court could provide alternative penalties to them if they are found guilty, such as requiring them to attend classes or training programs to reduce the likelihood of a repeat offense in the future.

Fancher, the school board president, expressed his gratitude Monday to the Andover Township Police Department for quickly following up in the matter and for "making sure we address issues involving the community and school district."

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Eric Obernauer can also be contacted on Twitter: @EricObernNJH or by phone at 973-383-1213.