LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a Missouri woman Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.
Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself in her bedroom after being targeted in a MySpace hoax.
Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis is said to have helped create a false-identity MySpace account to contact Megan Meier, who thought she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Josh didn't exist.
Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006 after receiving cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her.
Salvador Hernandez, assistant agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office, called the case heart-rending.
"The Internet is a world unto itself. People must know how far they can go before they must stop. They exploited a young girl's weaknesses," Hernandez said. "Whether the defendant could have foreseen the results, she's responsible for her actions."
Drew was charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress on the girl.
Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan.
U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said this was the first time the federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case. It has been used in the past to address hacking.
"This was a tragedy that did not have to happen," O'Brien said.
Both the girl and MySpace are named as victims in the case, he said.
Don't Miss a.. Read the indictment (pdf) MySpace is a subsidiary of Beverly Hills, California-based Fox Interactive Media Inc., which is owned by News Corp. The indictment noted that MySpace computer servers are located in Los Angeles County.
Due to juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the indictment refers to the girl as M.T.M.
FBI agents in St. Louis and Los Angeles investigated the case, Hernandez said.
Each of the four counts carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison.
Drew will be arraigned in St. Louis and then moved to Los Angeles for trial.
The indictment says MySpace members agree to abide by terms of service that include, among other things, not promoting information they know to be false or misleading; soliciting personal information from anyone under age 18 and not using information gathered from the Web site to "harass, abuse or harm other people."
Drew and others who were not named conspired to violate the service terms from about September 2006 to mid-October that year, according to the indictment. It alleges that they registered as a MySpace member under a phony name and used the account to obtain information on the girl.
Drew and her coconspirators "used the information obtained over the MySpace computer system to torment, harass, humiliate, and embarrass the juvenile MySpace member," the indictment charged.
After the girl killed herself, Drew and the others deleted the information for the account, the indictment said.
Last month, an employee of Drew's, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that she created the false MySpace profile but that Drew wrote some of the messages to Megan.
Grills said Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find out what Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former friend.
Grills also said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being a better place without her. The message was supposed to end the online relationship with "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone too far.
"I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could get rid of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.
Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state charges were filed because no laws appeared to apply to the case
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> LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a > Missouri woman Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax > on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor > who committed suicide. > Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself in her bedroom after being targeted > in a MySpace hoax.
> Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis is said to have helped create a > false-identity MySpace account to contact Megan Meier, who thought > she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Josh didn't > exist. > Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006 after receiving cruel > messages, including one stating the world would be better off without > her. > Salvador Hernandez, assistant agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI > office, called the case heart-rending.
> "The Internet is a world unto itself. People must know how far they > can go before they must stop. They exploited a young girl's > weaknesses," Hernandez said. "Whether the defendant could have > foreseen the results, she's responsible for her actions."
> Drew was charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of > accessing protected computers without authorization to get > information used to inflict emotional distress on the girl.
> Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan.
> U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said this was the first time the > federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a > social-networking case. It has been used in the past to address > hacking. > "This was a tragedy that did not have to happen," O'Brien said.
> Both the girl and MySpace are named as victims in the case, he said.
> Don't Miss > a.. Read the indictment (pdf) > MySpace is a subsidiary of Beverly Hills, California-based Fox > Interactive Media Inc., which is owned by News Corp. The indictment > noted that MySpace computer servers are located in Los Angeles County.
> Due to juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the > indictment refers to the girl as M.T.M.
> FBI agents in St. Louis and Los Angeles investigated the case, > Hernandez said. > Each of the four counts carries a maximum possible penalty of five > years in prison.
> Drew will be arraigned in St. Louis and then moved to Los Angeles for > trial. > The indictment says MySpace members agree to abide by terms of > service that include, among other things, not promoting information > they know to be false or misleading; soliciting personal information > from anyone under age 18 and not using information gathered from the > Web site to "harass, abuse or harm other people."
> Drew and others who were not named conspired to violate the service > terms from about September 2006 to mid-October that year, according > to the indictment. It alleges that they registered as a MySpace > member under a phony name and used the account to obtain information > on the girl. > Drew and her coconspirators "used the information obtained over the > MySpace computer system to torment, harass, humiliate, and embarrass > the juvenile MySpace member," the indictment charged.
> After the girl killed herself, Drew and the others deleted the > information for the account, the indictment said.
> Last month, an employee of Drew's, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told > ABC's "Good Morning America" that she created the false MySpace > profile but that Drew wrote some of the messages to Megan.
> Grills said Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find > out what Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former > friend. > Grills also said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being > a better place without her. The message was supposed to end the > online relationship with "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone > too far. > "I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I > could get rid of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.
> Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state > charges were filed because no laws appeared to apply to the case
> LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a Missouri woman > Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social > network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.
> Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself in her bedroom after being targeted in a MySpace > hoax.
> Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis is said to have helped create a false-identity > MySpace account to contact Megan Meier, who thought she was chatting with a > 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Josh didn't exist.
> Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006 after receiving cruel messages, > including one stating the world would be better off without her.
> Salvador Hernandez, assistant agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office, > called the case heart-rending.
> "The Internet is a world unto itself. People must know how far they can go > before they must stop. They exploited a young girl's weaknesses," Hernandez > said. "Whether the defendant could have foreseen the results, she's responsible > for her actions."
> Drew was charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing > protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict > emotional distress on the girl.
> Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan.
> U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said this was the first time the federal statute > on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case. It > has been used in the past to address hacking.
> "This was a tragedy that did not have to happen," O'Brien said.
> Both the girl and MySpace are named as victims in the case, he said.
> Don't Miss > a.. Read the indictment (pdf) > MySpace is a subsidiary of Beverly Hills, California-based Fox Interactive Media > Inc., which is owned by News Corp. The indictment noted that MySpace computer > servers are located in Los Angeles County.
> Due to juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the indictment > refers to the girl as M.T.M.
> FBI agents in St. Louis and Los Angeles investigated the case, Hernandez said.
> Each of the four counts carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in > prison.
> Drew will be arraigned in St. Louis and then moved to Los Angeles for trial.
> The indictment says MySpace members agree to abide by terms of service that > include, among other things, not promoting information they know to be false or > misleading; soliciting personal information from anyone under age 18 and not > using information gathered from the Web site to "harass, abuse or harm other > people."
> Drew and others who were not named conspired to violate the service terms from > about September 2006 to mid-October that year, according to the indictment. It > alleges that they registered as a MySpace member under a phony name and used the > account to obtain information on the girl.
> Drew and her coconspirators "used the information obtained over the MySpace > computer system to torment, harass, humiliate, and embarrass the juvenile > MySpace member," the indictment charged.
> After the girl killed herself, Drew and the others deleted the information for > the account, the indictment said.
> Last month, an employee of Drew's, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told ABC's "Good > Morning America" that she created the false MySpace profile but that Drew wrote > some of the messages to Megan.
> Grills said Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find out what > Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former friend.
> Grills also said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being a better > place without her. The message was supposed to end the online relationship with > "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone too far.
> "I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could get rid > of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.
> Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state charges > were filed because no laws appeared to apply to the case
>> LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a Missouri >> woman >> Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social >> network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.
>> Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself in her bedroom after being targeted in a >> MySpace >> hoax.
>> Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis is said to have helped create a >> false-identity >> MySpace account to contact Megan Meier, who thought she was chatting with >> a >> 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Josh didn't exist.
>> Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006 after receiving cruel >> messages, >> including one stating the world would be better off without her.
>> Salvador Hernandez, assistant agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI >> office, >> called the case heart-rending.
>> "The Internet is a world unto itself. People must know how far they can >> go >> before they must stop. They exploited a young girl's weaknesses," >> Hernandez >> said. "Whether the defendant could have foreseen the results, she's >> responsible >> for her actions."
>> Drew was charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of >> accessing >> protected computers without authorization to get information used to >> inflict >> emotional distress on the girl.
>> Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan.
>> U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said this was the first time the federal >> statute >> on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking >> case. It >> has been used in the past to address hacking.
>> "This was a tragedy that did not have to happen," O'Brien said.
>> Both the girl and MySpace are named as victims in the case, he said.
>> Don't Miss >> a.. Read the indictment (pdf) >> MySpace is a subsidiary of Beverly Hills, California-based Fox >> Interactive Media >> Inc., which is owned by News Corp. The indictment noted that MySpace >> computer >> servers are located in Los Angeles County.
>> Due to juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the >> indictment >> refers to the girl as M.T.M.
>> FBI agents in St. Louis and Los Angeles investigated the case, Hernandez >> said.
>> Each of the four counts carries a maximum possible penalty of five years >> in >> prison.
>> Drew will be arraigned in St. Louis and then moved to Los Angeles for >> trial.
>> The indictment says MySpace members agree to abide by terms of service >> that >> include, among other things, not promoting information they know to be >> false or >> misleading; soliciting personal information from anyone under age 18 and >> not >> using information gathered from the Web site to "harass, abuse or harm >> other >> people."
>> Drew and others who were not named conspired to violate the service terms >> from >> about September 2006 to mid-October that year, according to the >> indictment. It >> alleges that they registered as a MySpace member under a phony name and >> used the >> account to obtain information on the girl.
>> Drew and her coconspirators "used the information obtained over the >> MySpace >> computer system to torment, harass, humiliate, and embarrass the juvenile >> MySpace member," the indictment charged.
>> After the girl killed herself, Drew and the others deleted the >> information for >> the account, the indictment said.
>> Last month, an employee of Drew's, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told ABC's >> "Good >> Morning America" that she created the false MySpace profile but that Drew >> wrote >> some of the messages to Megan.
>> Grills said Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find out >> what >> Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former friend.
>> Grills also said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being a >> better >> place without her. The message was supposed to end the online >> relationship with >> "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone too far.
>> "I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could >> get rid >> of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.
>> Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state >> charges >> were filed because no laws appeared to apply to the case
On Thu, 15 May 2008 15:16:48 -0600, "_ Prof. Jonez _"
<thep...@jonez.net> wrote: >LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a Missouri woman >Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social >network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.
Ok let's clarify this a bit more. From what I have read online is, the indictment has not yet been granted. It is only a request by two unnamed federal agents from Los Angeles.
The suicide, and crime took place in 2006. The state of Missouri did not see there was enough evidence to charge anyone with anything. So now there is sufficient evidence on the federal level?
Can someone please inform us under exactly which law the indictment will be granted? If it is granted, I for one am gonna bitch like holy hell.
> In article <hmns24tlnck5p8ik9bqqfiq26tfmvqe...@4ax.com>, > richard <mem...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>> On Thu, 15 May 2008 15:16:48 -0600, "_ Prof. Jonez _" >> <thep...@jonez.net> wrote:
>> >LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a Missouri >> >woman >> >Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online >> >social >> >network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.
>> Ok let's clarify this a bit more. From what I have read online is, the >> indictment has not yet been granted. It is only a request by two >> unnamed federal agents from Los Angeles.
> You've read wrong. The grand jury voted the indictment already - as the > very first sentence of the story you replied to stated.
> For further proof, a copy of the indictment is here:
> (This copy does not have the grand jury foreperson's signature, likely > to protect their anonymity.)
>> The suicide, and crime took place in 2006. >> The state of Missouri did not see there was enough evidence to charge >> anyone with anything. >> So now there is sufficient evidence on the federal level?
> Yes, because different laws are involved. Missouri authorities > investigated the case but determined that no Missouri law applied to > these facts. The feds investigated the case, and they determined that > there were several federal laws that this woman violated.
>> Can someone please inform us under exactly which law the indictment >> will be granted? If it is granted, I for one am gonna bitch like holy >> hell.
> You always bitch, Richard. And you're always on the wrong side of the > issue.
ROTFLMAO !!
"Plus, receiving stolen money (or property of any kind) is only a crime if the recipient knows it is stolen" -- Lyin' Larry, the legal imbecile
"What do you think a "DNA Warrant" is? There is no such thing." -- Larry the legal stooge
" [The Jury] might have unanimously found that he probably committed the crime, or likely committed them, or possibly committed them - *or* that he was in fact innocent." -- Larry the idiot
"The jury was hung. Whether it was hung 11 for the top count and 1 for a lesser count or 1 for the top count and 11 to acquit is of no legal relevance in terms of bail." -- Larry the legal imbecile
" Actually, prisons are one of the few public places where you can still smoke." -- Larry the moron
"There are over 1300 ADAs in New York City alone, and I personally know at least a half-dozen named Larry or Lawrence." -- Larry the eponymous fool
" I don't know a single attorney, public or private, who knows his/her attorney registration number." -- Larry Glasser
Larry the Imbecile also claims that 0.625 grams is "far more than a gram" and that a handcuffed man will "fall faster" when pushed off a cliff.
>>>>> LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a >>>>> Missouri woman >>>>> Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online >>>>> social >>>>> network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed >>>>> suicide.
>>>> Ok let's clarify this a bit more. From what I have read online is, >>>> the indictment has not yet been granted. It is only a request by >>>> two unnamed federal agents from Los Angeles.
>>> You've read wrong. The grand jury voted the indictment already - >>> as the very first sentence of the story you replied to stated.
>>> For further proof, a copy of the indictment is here:
>>> (This copy does not have the grand jury foreperson's signature, >>> likely to protect their anonymity.)
>>>> The suicide, and crime took place in 2006. >>>> The state of Missouri did not see there was enough evidence to >>>> charge anyone with anything. >>>> So now there is sufficient evidence on the federal level?
>>> Yes, because different laws are involved. Missouri authorities >>> investigated the case but determined that no Missouri law applied to >>> these facts. The feds investigated the case, and they determined >>> that there were several federal laws that this woman violated.
>>>> Can someone please inform us under exactly which law the indictment >>>> will be granted? If it is granted, I for one am gonna bitch like >>>> holy hell.
>>> You always bitch, Richard. And you're always on the wrong side of >>> the issue.
>> ROTFLMAO !!
> Seriously, get help. You can't refrain from responding to a post of > mine, can you?
This from the moron Larry who's enfatuated with battling Richard for the Usenet Title of the World's Most Ignorant Legal Imbecile.
" Actually, prisons are one of the few public places where you can still smoke." -- Larry the moron
"Plus, receiving stolen money (or property of any kind) is only a crime if the recipient knows it is stolen" -- Lyin' Larry, the legal imbecile
"What do you think a "DNA Warrant" is? There is no such thing." -- Larry the legal stooge
" [The Jury] might have unanimously found that he probably committed the crime, or likely committed them, or possibly committed them - or that he was in fact innocent." -- Larry the idiot
"The jury was hung. Whether it was hung 11 for the top count and 1 for a lesser count or 1 for the top count and 11 to acquit is of no legal relevance in terms of bail." -- Larry the legal imbecile
"There are over 1300 ADAs in New York City alone, and I personally know at least a half-dozen named Larry or Lawrence." -- Larry the eponymous fool
" I don't know a single attorney, public or private, who knows his/her attorney registration number." -- Larry Glasser
Larry the Imbecile also claims that 0.625 grams is "far more than a gram" and that a handcuffed man will "fall faster" when pushed off a cliff.
>> >>>>> LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a >> >>>>> Missouri woman >> >>>>> Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online >> >>>>> social >> >>>>> network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed >> >>>>> suicide.
>> >>>> Ok let's clarify this a bit more. From what I have read online is, >> >>>> the indictment has not yet been granted. It is only a request by >> >>>> two unnamed federal agents from Los Angeles.
>> >>> You've read wrong. The grand jury voted the indictment already - >> >>> as the very first sentence of the story you replied to stated.
>> >>> For further proof, a copy of the indictment is here:
>> >>> (This copy does not have the grand jury foreperson's signature, >> >>> likely to protect their anonymity.)
>> >>>> The suicide, and crime took place in 2006. >> >>>> The state of Missouri did not see there was enough evidence to >> >>>> charge anyone with anything. >> >>>> So now there is sufficient evidence on the federal level?
>> >>> Yes, because different laws are involved. Missouri authorities >> >>> investigated the case but determined that no Missouri law applied to >> >>> these facts. The feds investigated the case, and they determined >> >>> that there were several federal laws that this woman violated.
>> >>>> Can someone please inform us under exactly which law the indictment >> >>>> will be granted? If it is granted, I for one am gonna bitch like >> >>>> holy hell.
>> >>> You always bitch, Richard. And you're always on the wrong side of >> >>> the issue.
>> >> ROTFLMAO !!
>> > Seriously, get help. You can't refrain from responding to a post of >> > mine, can you?
>> This from the moron Larry who's enfatuated with battling Richard for >> the Usenet Title of the World's Most Ignorant Legal Imbecile.
> I think the word you're looking for is "infatuated."
