Jordan Jarrode Richards-Nwankwo, 18, Lorkeyla Jamia Spencer, 19, and Brittney Monique Mills, 35, were charged with cruelty to children, with Richards-Nwankwo facing an additional battery charge.
"We’re very pleased with these arrests, but we are pleased with feedback that we got from members of the community assisting in this and how quickly they were able to jump on it," said Sgt. John Chafee, Atlanta Police Department.
An investigation was launched in June after Atlanta police were alerted about a post "depicting maltreatment of a juvenile." The child was soon located and placed into protective custody with the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services.
"The behavior in this social media post was difficult to watch and is absolutely unacceptable. We are appreciative of the number of people who flagged this case with us and for those who provided information on the location where it took place. Our investigators worked hard to identify those involved and to gather the evidence needed to place each behind bars, and we are thankful for their work," the Atlanta Police Department wrote in a statement.
In the video that prompted the investigation, people can be heard yelling at the boy while being assaulted. The police report states one person said, "You still doing gay s---. You think I cut this in your head for no reason?"
"Investigators were made aware of a video posted on social media that depicted a young male abused and it appeared that he was being abused because of his sexual orientation," said Chafee.