Adults drive 14-year-old to suicide by harassing her on MySpace

[Superflyer]

Words really cannot say what I am feeling right now for this lady and her kid and employee that helped. I cannot belive that someone would do this. I am scared for my kids when I read things like this because you never know what they can find on the internet. Sure right now they are 3 and 7 but it is a matter of time before they find sites like myspace and facebook.
The laws really, really need to change drastically. They need to adapt to the new world out there and take care of cyber bullying and such. Right now the justice system is so far out to lunch on new things that they don't even know which end is up. Right now if that bit*h of a mother was to have walked up to Megan and said the same things in person then it would have been a chargable offence but since it was over a computer the justice system stands there with their thumbs up their backsides. This make me just sick.

[ericschand]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

...
The laws really, really need to change drastically. They need to adapt to the new world out there and take care of cyber bullying and such. ...This make me just sick.

Just what laws do you propose?
In fact, on http://www.slashdot.org they are having this discussion right
now, through an interesting take on a couple of politicians responses.
How would the laws work? Who would be targeted?

And yes, it is sick. Digusting. I have absolutely no sympathy for
Lori Drew and Ashley Grills. They decided to go down the path of
causing a 13 year old to commit suicide. By harrassment. And
now she is harrassed. Nice.

ers

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by ericschand

Just what laws do you propose?

I think that they have to either tweak their current laws, in this case anyways, harrasment and\or mischief. Sure these are little petty laws but it is something. Also they need to create new laws that make it illegal to pose as another person on the internet. Yes I know this is next to impossible to enforce but to just have a law like that in place so that if this were to happen again then they would have this to fall back on.
They can also create laws against things such as cyber bullying, this is becoming a very big thing and it is affecting many people, mainly kids.
I am not talking revamp everything but they need to make some changes as things are changing and they need to change to keep up.

Originally Posted by ericschand

In fact, on http://www.slashdot.org they are having this discussion right
now, through an interesting take on a couple of politicians responses.
How would the laws work? Who would be targeted?

I just read that article and it is very good, they hit on some very good points, I am also reading some of the replies that other people have written and I can see both sides, but I still think that things need to change and the people that said that Megan was in the wrong for killing herself are complete idiots. How in the hell can they blame her for this. Some people just disgust me.

[wpgflamesfan]

why can't dexter be a real person and take that b**** out

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

why can't dexter be a real person and take that b**** out

Wow, weird. I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw your post. Good old dexter. Our serial killer superhero.

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

Wow, weird. I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw your post. Good old dexter. Our serial killer superhero.

haha just an amazing show can't wait for season 3. Hopefully they keep it on showtime and not bring it to cbs as I like how it was kinda "underground" and really edgy

[4X4]

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

haha just an amazing show can't wait for season 3. Hopefully they keep it on showtime and not bring it to cbs as I like how it was kinda "underground" and really edgy

Such a good show. I watched both seasons on DVD. And each time I went on a marathon. I don't think I could handle watching it on a weekly basis.

[RubberDuck]

Mom indicted by a federal grand jury in My Space suicide case.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/20...578416-ap.html

Good! I hope this woman gets what she deserves.

[ericschand]

I don't know about "one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization"

I'm not sure that any charges like that can stick.

Accessing protected computers because she stole a pic of someone
and created a fake account?

Sounds like they are stretching the law here. At least earlier they
admitted there was no law they could use.

Think of the precedent if stealing a pic and using a false name on
the internet goes through.

Don't misunderstand, any and all hurt this lady goes through will
make me happy. However, somehow these charges just seem wrong
and desperate.

Thankfully, under the US system, she's going to be out thousands
upon thousands of dollars from all this.

ers

[CaptainCrunch]

If there was any justice in the world they would publish this woman and her assistants pictures, phone numbers and email accounts in every newspaper in America. These people are scum bags plane and simple and they frankly deserve every bad thing that can happen to them.

[Jayems]

Looks like the mom who posed as the 'Josh Evans' has been indicted, could face up to 20 years in prison.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/15/...ide/index.html

[KevanGuy]

Ohhh the rare in-thread fata.

[Jayems]

hahah... nuggets...

How did I miss that. I need to start reading some more.

[troutman]

The indictment:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...5083drew1.html

[Iggy's Forehead]

Not to sound insensitive, but come on. The adults are being tryed in court? Obviously this girl was not strong enough to handle anything mentally. If a couple jabs on myspace drove her to suicide, what would happen in high school? Or any down time in her life? I mean we've all been pissed off, even depressed. But is anyone here ready to tie the rope and jump if someone is mean to them on facebook or myspace? Personally I thrive on that, and give it back twice as hard.

All I'm saying is, while it is very wrong what they did, I don't think they can be even 50% to blame, obviously she was teetering on the edge for quite sometime and just wasn't strong enough emotionally to handle life.

[4X4]

Did you read the original articles?

[4X4]

I sort of doubt that there'll be a conviction in this case, but I'm glad they're dragging her through the mud.
I would personally disagree with a conviction or jail time because the precedent it would set would be ridiculous. It's really not too far off from that judge that sued the dry cleaners for $50 mil because they 'ruined his life'.
But like I said, I'm glad they're making her life a living hell for awhile. Poetic justice, IMO.

[Iggy's Forehead]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I sort of doubt that there'll be a conviction in this case, but I'm glad they're dragging her through the mud.
I would personally disagree with a conviction or jail time because the precedent it would set would be ridiculous. It's really not too far off from that judge that sued the dry cleaners for $50 mil because they 'ruined his life'.
But like I said, I'm glad they're making her life a living hell for awhile. Poetic justice, IMO.

Oh yeah, I'm fine with that. From what I've read they sound like the scum of the earth. The only point I'm making is they shouldn't be held solely responsible for this girls suicide. We've all been picked on at some point, and it seems like this was simply a case of ridiculing and harrassing. No one could predict that's going to lead to someone offing themself.

[J pold]

Originally Posted by Iggy's Forehead

Oh yeah, I'm fine with that. From what I've read they sound like the scum of the earth. The only point I'm making is they shouldn't be held solely responsible for this girls suicide. We've all been picked on at some point, and it seems like this was simply a case of ridiculing and harrassing. No one could predict that's going to lead to someone offing themself.

It wasn’t just “a couple of shots” a 49 year old women impersonated a 16 year old boy than started a relationship with this girl, acted as her friend

Than one day seemly out of now she does a 180 and repeatedly tells this girl that “the world would be better off without her”

Have you every dealt with a 16 year old girl? They are extremely emotional and very volatile to this kind of abuse

The girl’s father used a very accurate analogy describing the actions of the woman

“She may not a have come to my house and shot my daughter, but she loaded the gun”

[driveway]

Update:

The Verdict has come down in this case and Lori Drew, the mother responsible has been found guilty of “accessing a computer without authorization via interstate commerce.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...l_gam_mostview

Essentially, she has been found guilty of being a hacker:

In the case of MySpace, the fine print had a clause prohibiting users from signing up under a false identity. According to the prosecution's logic, Lori Drew had flaunted those instructions when “Josh Evans” was created, and was therefore making unauthorized use of MySpace – which made her, in a manner of speaking, a hacker. And that's what she was convicted of.

Therefore, unless this verdict is overturned on appeal,

breaking terms of service could turn these offsides into criminal offences, making rule-breakers into hackers in the eyes of U.S. law.

Unfortunate that there seems to be no way to prosecute the mother for her reprehensible actions, but this is clearly an extremely dangerous precedent to set and hopefully will be overturned on appeal.