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17 Jun 2008
Lori Drew, the US woman accused of creating a fake MySpace profile to bully a girl who later committed suicide, has entered a plea of not guilty at a trial in Los Angeles.
In what is thought to be the first trial of its kind, US prosecutors have charged Drew under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act used to tackle hackers.
Drew created a fake MySpace profile using the name 'Josh Evans' which she used to form a bogus friendship with 13 year-old Megan Meier who had previously fallen out with Drew's daughter.
'Josh' then ended the 'relationship' with a series of messages including one which allegedly suggested that the world would be better off without her. Meier hanged herself in October 2006.
Drew faces a number of charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and of conspiracy, each of which carries a sentence of five years.
She has been allowed home on bail while her lawyers mount a legal challenge to the validity of the charges.
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Strange Days
This will be an interesting trial, because it will deal with so many matters hard for the average man to digest. Among all issues, the central one I see is suicide. How can a person be charged for someone killing herself? We still believe you can drive someone into suicide. We live in a world in which we sometimes think of the suicide as a week, wretched and condemned soul, or as a helpless victim. Which of the two will it be? Easy: We'll blame whoever is easier to blame. It is confusing when the killer and the killed are the same. But still, we do have a killer in this case, and her name is Meggan Meier. Megan Meier did the hanging. Not her mother, not her wacky neighbor, not her wacky neighbor's employee.
Posted by: Ricardo Dirani 29 Jun 2008
CONCERNED
WOW! As a parent in my 20's, let me say, I remember school years oh so well and kids can be brutal!! But the problem with today is, PARENTS whom think it is thier responsibility to get even for thier children. There is a difference in taking legal action for your children, talking to another childs parent or the school than there is to actually take the mentality of an adult and phsycologically mess with a child. Which makes this woman lower than low and a hipocrit for being upset with this little girl for verbally abusing her child. Kids will be kids reguardless. All anyone wants to do it fit in. And other children can make that hard. Peer pressure and the desire to be "cool" makes kids act out.And I am guessing by the way this turned out, this little girl wasn't a "high and mighty" popular girl, if she was, suicide wouldn't have been her next approach. And as for the mother whom performed this malicious act, how does she expect her child to make it through life if she can't handle someone saying negative things to her? The tongue is a very powerful weapon that can destroy many and as an ADULT< A PARENT< AND SOMEONE THAT JUST KNEW BETTER, I feel like her serving time is more than deserving. As for the parents of Megan, My heart goes out to you and I hope some good comes out of this tragedy for us all. Parents should talk with thier children about how to treat others, that should have been a basic in the toddler years. And parents have to let go of thier "highschool" years and rage and stop going after any kids whom treat thier child how they were treated in thier school years. This isn't about getting even with all those kids who made your life hard when you were younger, it's not about making sure your child doesn't ever have to go through what YOU went through, it's about changing it all together by eliminating hate and teaching your child the world won't change, so we have to. Our children should be dressed in a Armor of love, words can't hurt you if you DONT LET THEM! It might make you feel a little under the weather, but it shouldnt alter how you think of yourself.( which I know is easier said than done ) But how can we complain about all of the hate in this world when most of us are still dishing it out? Kids will say things because thier kids, ADULTS ARE HERE TO CORRECT IT AND EXPLAIN WHY ITS WRONG!!!!! Time to grow up and act your age!! TWO WRONGS DONT MAKE IT RIGHT!!!
Posted by: Jamie 20 Jun 2008
What has become of our world?
What has society become? How can a grown woman with children cause such a devastating and horrific thing to happen. Who, at that age, goes that far to ruin a young girls life just because she needed to know what was being said about her daughter? I can only hope that there is such a thing as Karma. I know guilt lasts a lifetime. I hope her daughter realises her mother cut another young girls life short. What a disgusting display. I hope you rot in jail for the next 20 years and not get to see your daughter grow up, because that young girls family won't ever get to see their daughter again. I have a slew of nasty things to call you but i'll keep them to myself as I am a grown woman with children and uerstand the effects of cyber bullying.
Posted by: Laura Correa 19 Jun 2008
That woman should be under the jail
I feel sorry for the family and the only thing is that you should always try to talk to your children and try to know every thing that is going on with them that way nothing like this happens again and the woman that did this I'm sure the womans little girl had some thing to do with this as well not only the mother so i think the mother and the girl should have charges against them sorry this is the way i feel
Posted by: Tammy 17 Jun 2008
I'm disgusted
That woman makes me sick. She should be sentenced for a lot longer than 5 years, if that's what they determine. What the hell is wrong with people? Who does this?? She's an adult toying with an impressionable 13 year old. She made up a fake person just to make this poor girl feel bad; and then the girl kills herself. This makes me sick to the stomach. Is this really how parents are behaving? Over a squabble between her daughter and the other girl? This lady should not only be sentenced for a ridiculously long time, but she also should have her child revoked from her. Immediately. This lady doesn't deserve to infiltrate any more garbage into the minds of children. I can't imagine what kind of BS she says to her own daughter. She told that girl "The world would be better off without her"??? Frankly, the world would be better off without these idiots going around and breeding and raising our children of the future. There should be laws preventing certain people from having kids.
Posted by: Kate 17 Jun 2008