Report: Mom in MySpace hoax found guilty on lesser charges
Lori Drew, the Missouri woman who created a fake MySpace profile that she allegedly used to harass a teenage girl to the point of suicide, was convicted of three offenses far more minor than the ones she could have been, the Associated Press wrote Wednesday.
Drew, indicted in May by a federal court after Missouri prosecutors could not find evidence of a state crime, had been charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of "accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress."
On Wednesday, a federal jury in Los Angeles failed to reach a verdict on the conspiracy charge. In addition, Meier was not convicted of the three felony charges of accessing protected computers, but was instead found guilty of three related misdemeanors.
Drew had faced up to 20 years in prison, but now faces a year in prison and a $100,000 fine for each of the three misdemeanors.
According to the AP, U.S. District Court Judge George Wu declared a mistrial on the conspiracy charge, but it is not yet clear whether Drew will be retried on it.
The harassed teen, 13-year-old Megan Meier, committed suicide in 2006. She was a classmate of Drew's daughter Sarah.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation spoke out in opposition to the charges against Drew in August, saying that millions of Americans could be considered criminals in accordance with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act because of the charges' basis in a terms of service violation.
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline. 
Amazingly, most people still think this *case* was about Megan Meier's tragic suicide, rather than Ms. Drew's violation of a Web site's extensive "usage rules." I have never made a prediction with more confidence: many of those pleased by the defendant's deserved comeuppance will someday regret the further damage this case has done to civil liberties.
That's what happens to freedom when people don't pay close enough attention -- it gradually disappears.
...Cyber-bullying. There's a reason 95% of all websites and messenger services have a Block/Ignore option.
So long America...welcome to the new United Socialist C(rybaby) States of Amerika. The land of the 2 year old, self aggrandizing, welfare, keep up with the Jonses', take no personal responsibility, ask for handouts buynch of sissies ever to walk the earth. I am incensed and ashamed to be an American, and am well on my way to fulfilling my earnest desire to get the he!! out of this truly "God foresaken", lawless, hedonistic, cesspool.
If you really believe in personal responsiblity you would not have blamed the parents. You would also have assigned some of it to the mom for being a petty and vindictive person.
theonlybuster -- I don't know about you, but my experience with bullies consisted of far more than calling names. It usually was accompanied by violence or threat of violence, both of which are criminal offenses.
And Pete: you suppoes right. NOTHING is prosecutable in this case under the law. The prosecutor AND judge should both be 'forcibly' removed from their posts. This is a clear example of lawlessness and Politicall Correct garbage that only the British could top with their insanity.
And what does your 'experience' with bullies have to do with this case? Absolutely nothing.
I won't defend L. Drew but I sure as heck wouldn't convict her on 'made-up' charges for some political hack's relection campaign.
This will likely be appealed and very likely she (lori) will be acquitted as she should be. You cannot (sanely) legislate morality unless you want us all to live in a dungeon.
The woman comitted a serious crime, which lead to the self-inflicted death of her daughter's competition. What the mother did was cruel and as hateful as any other murder. It is high time that we as a society, that we hold women accountable and responsible. This leniency for women is has gond too far, and is direct gender descrimination. I DEMAND that we stop it NOW (all caps. intended).
To have a mother/daughter team insult, belittle, and actually encourage her to take her life is something that deserves punishment. Maybe the wrong charges were applied-perhaps Karma will deal with these sickos
You obviously have some serious issues with the pharmaceutical industry, perhaps they have failed you or someone in your family. Maybe you are one of those people who espouse no medication, if so I suggest you try educating yourself. A good start would be "The Quiet Room", an autobiographical book by Lori Shiller and Amanda Bennett. Without medication, this bright, intelligent individual would still be struggling with the demons that are schizophrenia.
Attempting to make the point that people do not need medication is an asinine statement, that clearly shows how very little that you know, regarding the advances in the lives of people who have benefitted from them.
As for my sardonic, exaggerated comment on sterilization-it must have went over your half brain stem, and while here I would like for you to throw out the name of a family in this day and age that you think is "functional", and define it according to your esteemed Opinion.
As far as being ashamed of being American, I pity you. To the best of my knowledge this is still a FREE COUNTRY; no one is holding you here against your will. You could try posting for handouts, I am most definately sure, there are those(including myself), that will help you in your quest to get the he!! out of this "Godforsaken" country, and the sooner the better. Would be quite interested in in where you choose to go; going to be very hard to find somewhere with your "high expectations"!
Pretty dumb.
Cyber bullying happens more than we think, that's why I have a product on my web site that helps parents keep an eye on their children's computer activity. If this girl's parents had been using a keylogger to monitor her activity online, they would have known what was going on and could have helped her to deal with it.
I can't add a link to my site here but if you want to check out the product yourself simply click on my screen name above to locate my web site address .
- by noni1985 December 9, 2008 8:03 AM PST
- The only answer to problem of kid's safety online is by using age verification systems such as the innovative biometric age verification system provided by VerificAge (www.verificage.com):
- Reply to this comment
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(26 Comments)- Establishes full segregation between adults and children online
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It seems that VerificAge's solution is going to change children's surfing culture on the Net and increase dramatically children's safety online.