State police in Clarence and county prosecutors plan to pursue criminal charges against a 17-year-old Clarence youth accused of faking a suicide attempt that he streamed live via webcam over the Internet.

As part of the hoax, the youth put ketchup on his arms to make it look as if he had cut his wrists, state police said. At about 11:30 p. m. Tuesday, state police fielded several calls from as far away as Israel regarding a young male attempting suicide and streaming it over an Internet Web site.

The computer address was traced to a Clarence address, where troopers say the young man admitted to the hoax. He told troopers he had no intention of hurting himself and did it only as a joke, state police aid.

State police noted that the incident tied up resources and personnel.