By now I would imagine a great many people across the internet are familiar with the case of Megan Meier, the girl who committed suicide after being taunted on popular social networking site MySpace.
Well now, at last, the case is in court as prosecutors make a case against Lori Drew who stands accused of taking part in an internet hoax they say led to Megan’s suicide.
In America’s first ever cyber-bullying trial the jury heard how someone calling themself ‘Josh’ sent Megan a message stating that the world would be better off without her.
Megan replied to that message by saying, ‘You are the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over.’
TINA MEIER
Megan’s mother, Tina Meier, said that a name-calling exchange between Megan, ‘Josh’ and two other girls then occurred in October of 2006.
She said she told her daughter, who was suffering from depression and attention deficit disorder, that she shouldn’t be online and shouldn’t have become involved in the argument.
Later on that day Tina Meier said she ran upstairs where she then found Megan hanging in the closet with a belt around her neck.
Tragically, Megan died the next day.
LORI DREW
Lori Drew, 49, from Missouri, is alleged to have played the part of ‘Josh’.
Drew has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy and likewise to three counts of accessing computers without authorisation.
Each of the four counts could lead to a prison term of up to five years.
As the first cyber-bullying case, it is widely expected that a legal precedent will be set for the dealing of online harassment.
In his opening statement to jurors, US Attorney Thomas O’Brien said Lori Drew helped create the false identity on MySpace in order to discover whether Megan may have been spreading malicious rumors about her daughter, Sarah Drew, on MySpace.
O’Brien said that the evidence would indicate that Drew created the MySpace account and ‘fully intended to hurt and prey on Megan’s psyche.’
The jury was also told that Drew knew that Megan was ‘vulnerable, suicidal and boy crazy.’
However the defence attorney, Dean Steward, told jurors that Drew did not violate the Computer Use and Fraud Act, which has been invoked previously for cases involving computer hacking, and reminded them that she was not facing charges dealing with the suicide.
Mr Steward said, ‘This is not a homicide case’.
NO MISTRIAL
After the jurors were dismissed for the day, Mr Steward was unsuccessful in requesting a mistrial, claiming that the emotional testimony was ‘totally improper in a computer fraud case.’
Prosecutors claimed that Drew conspired with her daughter and Drew’s then 18-year-old assistant, Ashley Grills, to create an attractive male teenager on MySpace in order to find out what was being said about Sarah.
In a final message, Ms Grills, posing as Josh Evans, told Megan, ‘The world would be a better place without you. Have a shitty rest of your life,’ Mr O’Brien said.
Mr Steward countered it was Ms Grills, who has been offered immunity in return for testifying, who set up the MySpace account and his client was driving home when the message about the world being a better place without Megan was sent.
The case is being heard in Los Angeles as MySpace computer servers are based in that area.
UPDATE
I just found out that Lori Drew is likely to be sentenced today : http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=174007&catid=3
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what!!my gaush. i can’t belive this.
What can’t you believe?
Lori Drew is likely to receive probation and a $5,000 fine for her involvement in the incident : http://www.kcra.com/news/19360513/detail.html
She had to go to court o my god
Why ‘o my god’ ?
Her actions should have classified her with a predator. She preyed on that child and should be branded like a sex offender. I hope she goes to jail. If she doesn’t do anytime for her actions, that would cause me to loose faith in the judicial system. Computer Use and Fraud Act my behind— she should have been charged with negligent homicide.
I don’t live in the US so I’m not sure how your laws work on such a case but I certainly agree with your sentiment.
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