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woebedamned

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:14 pm

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delete -- too negative

Last edited by woebedamned on Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

Damn it All!!!!

Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 6287
Location: pathetic joke of an American, bitter, gun clinging, God loving, racist cracker

CherokeeKid

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:27 pm

This will be interesting. I think it's rigtht that this grown woman has to take responsibility for bullying the teenage girl.

Joined: 11 May 2006
Posts: 6275

woebedamned

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:29 pm

delete -- too negative

Last edited by woebedamned on Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Damn it All!!!!

Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 6287
Location: pathetic joke of an American, bitter, gun clinging, God loving, racist cracker

tulsad

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:32 pm

Drew's attorney, H. Dean Steward, said he plans to wage a vigorous defense, suggesting that prosecutors in Los Angeles were overstepping their jurisdiction.

He doesn't make any comment about what she did - only that the prosecutors are out of their jurisdiction.

I sincerely hope that something comes of this. Even a small conviction would be a step in the right direction. Internet predators are now covered by many laws; it's about time that laws change to reflect the abuse and "bully" behavior on the internet. If this woman had "bullied" or harassed this girl in the real world, she would be facing charges.

Sparkly Tree

Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Posts: 10139

woebedamned

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:35 pm

delete -- too negative

Last edited by woebedamned on Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Damn it All!!!!

Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 6287
Location: pathetic joke of an American, bitter, gun clinging, God loving, racist cracker

tulsad

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:45 pm

I just searched on cyber-bullies and was shocked at how much information is out there! Not only for kids, but adults - MySpace,etc.; emails; PMs/IMs; message boards/forums. It looks like there is nearly as much on bullies as trolls - which some people compare them to.

Sparkly Tree

Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Posts: 10139

Schmerty

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:50 pm

It is amazing that a parent with almost 50 years to learn to be a decent human being ,can spend so much time plotting to do evil to another child.
There is so much need for good deeds & kind words that should easily come as human Nature .Instead energy is is expended to kill another woman's child. Crying or Very sad

Skipping along my own path.

Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 3280

Eliza

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 5:42 pm

Lori Drew indicted in Megan Meier MySpace suicide case

Lori Drew indicted in Megan Meier MySpace suicide case

Thursday, May. 15 2008

UPDATE:

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles today returned an indictment against Lori
Drew of O'Fallon, Mo., in the MySpace case that ended in the suicide of Megan
Meier.

Drew, 49, was named in a four-count indictment that charges one count of
conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without
authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on Meier, who
was referred to in the indictment only as M.T.M.

According to a news release from U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien, the
indictment alleges that Drew and others registered as a member of MySpace under
the name of Josh Evans, then began corresponding with Meier in what the girl
believed was an online romance. After the "romance" ended, Meier hanged herself
in her room.

By doing so, the indictment says, Drew and her co-conspirators violated
MySpace's "terms of service" that prohibit users from making use of fraudulent
registration information, using accounts to obtain personal information about
members who are juveniles and using MySpace services to harass, abuse or harm
other members.

"This adult woman allegedly used the Internet to target a young teenage girl,
with horrendous ramifications," O'Brien said.

"Any adult who uses the Internet or a social gathering website to bully or
harass another person, particularly a young teenage girl, needs to realize that
their actions can have serious consequences."

Ron Meier, Megan's father, watched television newscasts announcing the
indictment and was overcome with emotion

"It's a a good day," he said. "It’s an awesome feeling.”

He said now he expects the Drews to feel some of the pain and suffering "that I’
m going to feel for the rest of my life, not having Megan here."

Drew declined to comment, referring questions to her lawyer. She will be
summoned to appear for arraignment in federal court in Los Angeles in June; she
is expected to surrender to authorities in St. Louis. The conspiracy count
carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; each count of accessing
protected computers also carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in
prison.

St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said that despite the federal
indictment, his position on possible charges in the Meier has not changed. He
decided not to file charges after an investigation into Megan's death, and he
said today his position remains the same.

"I couldn't charge it then, and I couldn't charge it now," Banas said. "It's
not a violation of state law."

Joel Currier of the Post-Dispatch contributed information for this story.

----------

Our earlier story:

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles this morning announced an "anticipated"
indictment in an Internet bullying case that sources said was connected to the
Megan Meier MySpace suicide case.

A press conference has been scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Pacific time (1:30 p.m. in
St. Louis). No indictments had been filed as of 10 a.m. St. Louis time, but
sources with knowledge of the investigation expected the indictment of Lori
Drew for helping to create a false MySpace identity that was used to meet, woo
and then taunt 13-year-old Megan Meier.
Megan hanged herself in her Dardenne Prairie home in October 2006.
Parents Ron and Tina Meier later learned that in the days before her death,
Megan received messages from a false MySpace account linked to their neighbors,
Lori and Curt Drew.
Tina Meier said this morning that she knew nothing about the expected
indictment.
"As of right now, I have no information," she said. "I wish I knew." She said
she expected to hear from authorities before the news conference.
The Drews' daughter had been friends with Megan since grade school but the
friendship splintered and the Drews heard that Megan had been talking about
their daughter, prosecutors said.
Ashley Grills, who was 18 at the time and worked for Lori Drew, told Good
Morning America that she, Lori Drew and Lori Drew's daughter created a
fictional profile under the name Josh Evans to find out what Megan was saying.
She also admitted that she's sent the final message to Megan: "The world would
be a better place without you."
Grills told ABC that she's been granted immunity in exchange for her
cooperation.
The incident prompted an international cry for action, but Missouri and federal
prosecutors here in St. Louis examined the circumstances shortly after Megan’s
death, and passed on trying to build a criminal case. No law, they said,
applied.
Then, in January, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles began issuing grand jury
subpoenas, signaling a new interest in the case.
MySpace is based in Santa Monica.
Prosecutors are said to be seeking a felony fraud indictment under the legal
theory that Lori Drew defrauded MySpace of computer time and resources by
supplying false information.
In December, St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas said that the
circumstances surrounding Megan's death defied a simple placement of blame.
Banas said that Lori Drew, her daughter and Ashley Grills, a friend and
employee, created a MySpace page for a fictitious boy named Josh Evans to find
out what Megan was saying about Drew’s daughter.
For weeks, the messages were "innocuous," Banas said, but on Oct. 15, 2006, the
day before Megan’s suicide, the tone changed. Others had used the Josh Evans
password. Someone wrote a message to Megan that the world would be better off
without her.
Banas said there was no evidence that Lori Drew typed any of the messages.
Jim Briscoe, the Drews' attorney, could not be reached for comment Wednesday
night. Earlier this year he was skeptical of the Los Angeles investigation,
asking, "So they’re going after everybody who makes up a fake name on MySpace?"
He's also said that Lori knew about the page but did not participate in writing
the messages.

Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: Deep in the hills with my Bible, rifle, and pony.

Katie

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 8:20 pm

Thanks Woe, I am so glad they are going after this woman. Twisted Evil

Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Posts: 4970

CherokeeKid

Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:20 pm

A portrait of Megan Meier, 13, who committed suicide last October after receiving cruel messages on Myspace, Monday, Nov. 19, 2007 in St. Charles, Mo.. Meier hanged herself after receiving mean messages on the Internet social networking site. The 16-year old boy with whom she had been communicating turned out to be a fabrication created by a mother down the street.

This handout shows self portrait shows Megan Meier, 13, who committed suicide last October after receiving cruel messages on MySpace, Monday, Nov. 19, 2007 in St. Charles, Mo. Meier hanged herself after receiving mean messages on the Internet social networking site. The 16-year old boy with whom she had been communicating turned out to be a fabrication created by a mother down the street.

Joined: 11 May 2006
Posts: 6275

chance

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 10:03 am

Schmerty wrote:

Very well put Schmerty. I totally agree.

Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 2773
Location: Deep in the heart of Texas

Eliza

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 11:15 am

The "chickens are coming home to roost."

It wasn't long ago, that folks were worried about simple lawsuits due to internet harrasment and commentary.

Looks as though the government is making it very clear that internet users will be held responsible for their comments to people. Especially minors. This case, in my opinion, is a landmark case.

Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: Deep in the hills with my Bible, rifle, and pony.

CherokeeKid

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 1:48 pm

Eliza, there is already a thread in "Crimes and Trials". Not sure if you saw it:

http://www.refugeesunleashed.net/viewtopic.php?t=14634

Joined: 11 May 2006
Posts: 6275

woebedamned

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 9:40 pm

delete -- too negative

Last edited by woebedamned on Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:13 pm; edited 1 time in total

Damn it All!!!!

Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 6287
Location: pathetic joke of an American, bitter, gun clinging, God loving, racist cracker

Heli

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:13 am

Schmerty wrote:

The internet provides these types of people the perfect medium to
engage in this type of immoral and ammoral behaviour with impunity.
I daresay, if we were able to glimpse into this woman's r/l, we would
probably see she's not much different in her personal interactions with others.

I'm haven't read much on this new development, but it looks like the
LA Grand Jury returned an indictment in this Missouri case based on the
MySpace TOS violation by Drew. This would certainly be a landmark
case that would hopefully send a strong message to ALL about engaging
in these types of activities.

Transcription Goddess

Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 23410
Location: Puffed Up DimWit

tulsad

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 1:31 am

Heli wrote:

The TOS of any message board include prohibitions against bullying other posters. This could potentially make enforcement of these rules much easier for admin.

Sparkly Tree

Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Posts: 10139

Bubbles

Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:29 pm

tulsad wrote:

hey tulsad!

While I'm with you on what this woman did was devious and horrible, I don't think the law supports the charge as crafted. It is too broad and would then extend to persons posting under a 'nic.' There are serious amendment issues. I think since they found a federal loophole she could at least get obstruction of justice charges b/c if I am not mistaken she initially lied to feds about her involvement. I may be confused on that to. It may have been state authorites, in which case she'd get a pass.

It boggles the mind a 46yo woman would do this to a 13 yo girl tho.

Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 7735

LISA

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:46 pm

'Not Guilty' Plea in Federal MySpace Suicide Case

Monday , June 16, 2008

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES —

A Missouri woman has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles federal court to charges in a MySpace hoax allegedly linked to a 13-year-old girl's suicide.

Lori Drew, 49, stood quietly beside her attorney Monday as U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Abrams asked if she understood the charges and conditions under which she was being released on bond. She said she did.

Drew pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress.

The charges were filed in California, where MySpace is based.

Drew, of suburban St. Louis, allegedly helped create a fake MySpace account to convince Megan Meier she was chatting with a nonexistent 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans.

Megan Meier hanged herself at home in October 2006, allegedly after receiving a dozen or more cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her. Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Meier.

U.S. Attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said Drew is expected to enter a plea in federal court, then have her case assigned to a judge and be given a trial date. He said she would then be allowed to return to her home state pending trial.

Drew's lawyer has said he will legally challenge the charges. And experts have said the case could break new ground in Internet law. The statute used to indict Drew usually applies to Internet hackers who illegally access accounts to get information.

U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien has acknowledged this is the first time the federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case.

Rebecca Lonergan, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Southern California, has said use of the federal cyber crime statute may be open to challenge.

Lonergan, who used the statute in the past to file charges in computer hacking and trademark theft cases, said the crimes covered by the law involve obtaining information from a computer, not sending messages out to harass someone.

"Here it is the flow of information away from the computer," she said. "It's a very creative, aggressive use of the statute. But they may have a legally tough time meeting the elements."

James Chadwick, a Palo Alto attorney who specializes in Internet and media law, said he has never seen the statute, known as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, applied to the sending of messages.

He said it was probable that liability for the girl's death would not be an issue in the case. "As tragic as it is," he said, "You can't start imposing liability on people for being cruel."

Missouri police didn't file any charges against Drew in part because there was no applicable state law. In response to the case, Missouri legislators gave final approval to a bill making cyber harassment illegal.

MySpace is a subsidiary of News Corp., the parent company of FOX News.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,367255,00.html

Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 1757

gwen

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:06 pm

Missouri governor signs Internet harassment bill

Jun 30 06:13 PM US/Eastern
By JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writer Write a Comment

O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed a bill Monday outlawing cyberbullying, just miles from where a 13-year-old girl committed suicide nearly two years ago after being harassed on the Internet.

The bill updates state laws against harassment by removing the requirement that the communication be written or over the telephone. Supporters say the bill now covers harassment from computers, text messages and other electronic devices.

"Social networking sites and technology have opened a new door for criminals and bullies to prey on their victims, especially children," Blunt said. "This new law will ensure that we have the protections and penalties needed to safeguard Missourians from Internet harassment."

Megan Meier killed herself in October 2006, shortly after receiving mean-spirited messages over the Internet. Her suicide prompted the bill.

The teenager's mother, wearing a picture of her daughter in a pin on her dress, stood over the governor's shoulder as he signed the bill at a St. Charles County library.

Meier said she was grateful, but said much more needs to be done to make sure children are kept safe.

"This is certainly not the end," she said. "Bullying and cyberbullying is something that takes place every day. This is not just one case with Megan."

The news of the circumstances surrounding the teen's death surfaced after a local newspaper ran an article last fall. Since then, several Missouri towns have adopted new ordinances aimed at stopping cyberharassment. U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., has introduced a bill that would impose federal penalties for cyberbullying.

The Missouri measure also requires school officials to tell police about harassment and stalking on school grounds and expands state laws against stalking to cover "credible threats" not only against the victim, but also family and household members and animals. It also creates stronger penalties for stalking.

Megan had long suffered from depression and attention deficit disorder. In 2006, she began corresponding with "Josh" through MySpace pages. At first, the messages were positive.

But after several weeks, they turned mean. One told Megan "Josh" no longer wanted to be friends.

Shortly thereafter, Megan hanged herself in her bedroom. She died the next day.

There was no boy named Josh. Authorities said a neighbor, Lori Drew, her teenage daughter and an 18-year-old employee of Drew created a fake profile of an attractive teenage boy to see what Megan was saying about the daughter online.

Drew, 49, has pleaded not guilty in California, where MySpace is headquartered, to conspiracy and accessing computers without authorization.

Meier has become a strong advocate of stopping Internet harassment. She often speaks to schools and other groups. It doesn't erase the pain, she said.

"For me, Megan is still my baby," Meier said. "It's still hard. It touches my heart immensely to know the state of Missouri has worked so hard to honor my daughter and other families."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91KLMD80&show_article=1

AKA Gagal_05

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 14448

gwen

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:00 am

Woman in MySpace Suicide Case Moving Away From Neighborhood
Thursday, September 18, 2008

The woman charged in a MySpace hoax that allegedly led to a 13-year-old girl's suicide is moving out of her Missouri neighborhood to an undisclosed location.

Lori Drew and her family have decided to leave their Dardenne Prairie, Mo., home and will move within a week, according to a report in the St. Charles Journal.

"I don't honestly know where we are going," Drew, 49, told the paper.

A federal judge in California is weighing a possible dismissal of the charges against Drew in connection with the hoax that led to the 2006 suicide of her teen neighbor Megan Meier.

Drew is accused of helping to create a false-identity account on the social networking site MySpace and harassing the teen with cruel messages in order to find out what Megan was saying about her own daughter. The girls had had a recent falling out.

Drew is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Oct. 7.

"I wish it would have happened a long time ago," Megan's father, Ron Meier, said of the Drews' move. "Hopefully, the next time I ever see them again is Oct. 7 and no more from then on."

Meier told the Journal that neighbors had informed him of the move.

The paper reported that the Drews had lowered the asking price of their home to $229,900. It was unclear whether the house had been sold or was still under contract.

Drew has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against her.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424481,00.html

AKA Gagal_05

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 14448

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