Missouri Mom Convicted in MySpace Bullying Case - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 11-26-2008, 06:05 PM

Link

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 26 -- A Missouri woman who posed as a 16-year-old boy on MySpace, wooed and rejected a troubled teenage girl who later committed suicide was found guilty Wednesday of three misdemeanor charges, but no felonies, by a federal jury.

According to published reports, the jury rejected felony charges of accessing a computer without authorization for Lori Drew, the 49-year-old mother from O'Fallon, Mo., who allegedly posed as a 16-year-old boy to harass a former friend of her daughter's. The jury did, however, find Drew guilty of three lesser misdemeanor counts.

The jurors could not reach a verdict on a count of conspiracy.

The verdict in the nationally watched cyber-bullying case comes nearly two years after the death of 13-year-old Megan Meier, referred to in court documents as "M.T.M." Meier hanged herself with a belt in her bedroom closet within an hour of being dumped by "Josh Evans," the fictitious identity that Drew assumed on the popular networking Web site.

A federal grand jury indicted Drew on four counts in May, alleging that she and others, including her daughter Sarah, then 13, and an 18-year-old assistant, registered as a member of MySpace to contact Meier and reel her into what she believed was online romance with a new boy in town. Each count carried a maximum of five years in prison, but Wednesday's lesser misdemeanor charges probably mean no jail time for Drew.

Prosecutors had alleged that Drew and Drew's employee violated MySpace's "terms of service" that prohibit users from using fraudulent registration information, obtaining personal information about juvenile members or using the service to harass, abuse or harm others.

During the five-day trial, they portrayed Drew as the mastermind behind an intentional scheme to humiliate Meier, despite knowing the girl -- once her daughter's best friend -- suffered from depression. Drew wanted to know whether Meier was spreading rumors about her daughter, prosecutors argued, and bragged about the scheme to others.

Defense attorney H. Dean Steward argued that prosecutors tried to mislead jurors into thinking the case was about murder and reminded them that it is a computer case. Specifically, he said, the question before jurors was whether Drew violated the terms-of-service agreement of MySpace -- something, he said, "nobody reads."

Wednesday's verdict underscores the difficulties of the case. Some legal experts and civil liberties groups argued that the prosecution's case would mean that millions of people who violate the terms of service at the Web sites they visit could become criminally liable. Experts also said that if violating terms of service is a crime, then the Web sites that write the agreements essentially could function as lawmakers or prosecutors.

Meier had struggled with depression since third grade, was bullied in school and had self-esteem problems, her parents Ron and Tina Meier said in a television interview a year ago. In 2006, they allowed her to open up a MySpace account under their supervision and said the messages from "Josh" were the first affectionate ones their daughter had ever received.

"He thought she was really pretty," Tina Meier said.

Four weeks into the exchanges, "Josh" broke off the relationship with Meier, her father said, sending a message that "the world would be a better place without" her. Within an hour after receiving it, Meier took her own life.

Meier's father said he logged online days later to contact "Josh," but the profile was deleted. A neighbor later told them that "Josh" was created by a mother down the street, a woman who had attended their daughter's funeral.

The resulting public outrage led state and federal prosecutors in Missouri to examine the case, but after a meeting in March 2007, "it was decided that the case should be declined for federal prosecution," according to an internal memo from the FBI's St. Louis office.

Federal prosecutors in the Los Angeles area, where MySpace's servers are, picked up the case, calling it the first of its kind in the nation.

robyrob · 11-26-2008, 06:20 PM

this is good news, but it could be better - they need to make clear laws that would help prevent and convict crimes like these.

catlover79 · 11-26-2008, 07:08 PM

Good!!

OH Nuts! · 11-26-2008, 07:36 PM

What goes around comes around.... Lori's definitely a pariah now!!

And I hope she gets some serious jail time

sunshinefizzy · 11-26-2008, 07:38 PM

Even though I strongly feel the suicide was all Megan, I do say great to her sentence. This will haunt her for the rest of her life and I hope she not only knows, but feels it

InspectorExstead · 11-26-2008, 07:40 PM

that is very good to hear & it didn't take too long from the start of the trial to reach a verdict either.

Janice · 11-26-2008, 11:03 PM

A just verdict. Too bad it carries no jail time. People have to expect that actions have consequences, and often serious ones. Just can't screw with the mind of a troubled teen, and expect to get away with it.

Mr. Television · 11-26-2008, 11:05 PM

Good news but I was hoping she'd rot in jail.

Lee · 11-27-2008, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

What goes around comes around.... Lori's definitely a pariah now!!

And I hope she gets some serious jail time

According to the article, she probably will not

JAlanRuss72 · 11-27-2008, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice

A just verdict. Too bad it carries no jail time. People have to expect that actions have consequences, and often serious ones. Just can't screw with the mind of a troubled teen, and expect to get away with it.

agreed. Sounds like she REALLY needed to get a life- what adult has time to do all that. I guess no job, no bills . . .

ABlairican Pie · 11-27-2008, 02:03 PM

Too bad she's not getting jail time. It would be nice to have something more than a slap on the wrist, but I hope she carries this around for the rest of her life:

"Wow, my stupidity and suspicious behavior led to the death of young girl with emotional problems. I COULD HAVE gotten a life, I COULD HAVE gotten a life, I COULD HAVE gotten a life......."

InspectorExstead · 11-27-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAlanRuss72

agreed. Sounds like she REALLY needed to get a life- what adult has time to do all that. I guess no job, no bills . . .

that's what i want to know. she had nothing else to do, but resort to middle school tactics?

Hollow · 11-27-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAlanRuss72

agreed. Sounds like she REALLY needed to get a life- what adult has time to do all that. I guess no job, no bills . . .

oh, she had a job. her coupon business has gotten fantastic reviews since megan's story went public!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/drew-advantage-o-fallon

anyway, at least the fat bitch (ashley grills) who sent that final "the world would be better without you" message to megan has blamed herself and shown remorse in interviews. lori still needs to get her head out of her ass.

Doodyville10019 · 11-28-2008, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunshinefizzy

Even though I strongly feel the suicide was all Megan, I do say great to her sentence. This will haunt her for the rest of her life and I hope she not only knows, but feels it

Sorry, Sunshine, but your statement saying that the suicide was "all Megan" I respectfully disagree. First of all, Megan was suffering from depression, which can be (and is) a very debilitating disease. I know this firsthand. We'll never know if she was getting proper care and treatment for it, but even with the best of care, sometimes depression can cloud a person's judgment to an extreme. Secondly, being a teenager, being dumped by a guy who says "the world would be better off without you" usually does have devestating consequences no matter the condition of the girl. I've been through that firsthand, too.

I was hoping the mom would get some serious jail time for what she did but I guess all she's getting is a slap on the wrists. What I'd like to know is why she did it in the first place - to get even for a failed frienship with her daughter, or for a perceived slight, or maybe because she is a closed minded person who thought to exploit Megan because of her condition. Sadly, we'll never know that, either.

sunshinefizzy · 11-28-2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doodyville10019

Sorry, Sunshine, but your statement saying that the suicide was "all Megan" I respectfully disagree. First of all, Megan was suffering from depression, which can be (and is) a very debilitating disease. I know this firsthand. We'll never know if she was getting proper care and treatment for it, but even with the best of care, sometimes depression can cloud a person's judgment to an extreme. Secondly, being a teenager, being dumped by a guy who says "the world would be better off without you" usually does have devestating consequences no matter the condition of the girl. I've been through that firsthand, too.

I was hoping the mom would get some serious jail time for what she did but I guess all she's getting is a slap on the wrists. What I'd like to know is why she did it in the first place - to get even for a failed frienship with her daughter, or for a perceived slight, or maybe because she is a closed minded person who thought to exploit Megan because of her condition. Sadly, we'll never know that, either.

And I respect your opinion. I mean, some of the stuff she wrote, ouch. I read somewhere that she was on all these different pills not only for her depression but for ADD as well. Some of that stuff can actually make depression worse. Still, it's very dissapointing that she couldn't rise above it. Nobody makes you do anything, you do it for yourself.

11-26-2008, 06:05 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,435	Missouri Mom Convicted in MySpace Bullying Case Link LOS ANGELES, Nov. 26 -- A Missouri woman who posed as a 16-year-old boy on MySpace, wooed and rejected a troubled teenage girl who later committed suicide was found guilty Wednesday of three misdemeanor charges, but no felonies, by a federal jury. According to published reports, the jury rejected felony charges of accessing a computer without authorization for Lori Drew, the 49-year-old mother from O'Fallon, Mo., who allegedly posed as a 16-year-old boy to harass a former friend of her daughter's. The jury did, however, find Drew guilty of three lesser misdemeanor counts. The jurors could not reach a verdict on a count of conspiracy. The verdict in the nationally watched cyber-bullying case comes nearly two years after the death of 13-year-old Megan Meier, referred to in court documents as "M.T.M." Meier hanged herself with a belt in her bedroom closet within an hour of being dumped by "Josh Evans," the fictitious identity that Drew assumed on the popular networking Web site. A federal grand jury indicted Drew on four counts in May, alleging that she and others, including her daughter Sarah, then 13, and an 18-year-old assistant, registered as a member of MySpace to contact Meier and reel her into what she believed was online romance with a new boy in town. Each count carried a maximum of five years in prison, but Wednesday's lesser misdemeanor charges probably mean no jail time for Drew. Prosecutors had alleged that Drew and Drew's employee violated MySpace's "terms of service" that prohibit users from using fraudulent registration information, obtaining personal information about juvenile members or using the service to harass, abuse or harm others. During the five-day trial, they portrayed Drew as the mastermind behind an intentional scheme to humiliate Meier, despite knowing the girl -- once her daughter's best friend -- suffered from depression. Drew wanted to know whether Meier was spreading rumors about her daughter, prosecutors argued, and bragged about the scheme to others. Defense attorney H. Dean Steward argued that prosecutors tried to mislead jurors into thinking the case was about murder and reminded them that it is a computer case. Specifically, he said, the question before jurors was whether Drew violated the terms-of-service agreement of MySpace -- something, he said, "nobody reads." Wednesday's verdict underscores the difficulties of the case. Some legal experts and civil liberties groups argued that the prosecution's case would mean that millions of people who violate the terms of service at the Web sites they visit could become criminally liable. Experts also said that if violating terms of service is a crime, then the Web sites that write the agreements essentially could function as lawmakers or prosecutors. Meier had struggled with depression since third grade, was bullied in school and had self-esteem problems, her parents Ron and Tina Meier said in a television interview a year ago. In 2006, they allowed her to open up a MySpace account under their supervision and said the messages from "Josh" were the first affectionate ones their daughter had ever received. "He thought she was really pretty," Tina Meier said. Four weeks into the exchanges, "Josh" broke off the relationship with Meier, her father said, sending a message that "the world would be a better place without" her. Within an hour after receiving it, Meier took her own life. Meier's father said he logged online days later to contact "Josh," but the profile was deleted. A neighbor later told them that "Josh" was created by a mother down the street, a woman who had attended their daughter's funeral. The resulting public outrage led state and federal prosecutors in Missouri to examine the case, but after a meeting in March 2007, "it was decided that the case should be declined for federal prosecution," according to an internal memo from the FBI's St. Louis office. Federal prosecutors in the Los Angeles area, where MySpace's servers are, picked up the case, calling it the first of its kind in the nation.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

11-26-2008, 06:20 PM	#2
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,203	this is good news, but it could be better - they need to make clear laws that would help prevent and convict crimes like these.
	__________________ * firefox * AdAware * HiJackThis * CoolWebShredder * Spybot * SpywareBlaster * Spyware Terminator * * GeeksToGo * AntiVir * Avast antivirus * Housecall Online * Sysinternals Security Utilities * * ZoneAlarm * Agnitum-firewall * Comodo Firewall * AVG Anti-Rootkit * RootkitRevealer * ParasiteCheck * * Annoyances * FreeCodecs * Mikes-Hosts-File * GRC.com * MSAntispyware * DVD's * TradeList * myspace *

11-26-2008, 07:08 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Good!!
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

11-26-2008, 07:40 PM	#6
InspectorExstead Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Oct 29, 2001 Location: The Golden State Posts: 12,902	that is very good to hear & it didn't take too long from the start of the trial to reach a verdict either.
	__________________ They killed my sister because she asked: "Where is my vote?" http://sosiran.com/ http://tapeshhd.com/index.php

11-26-2008, 11:05 PM	#8
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	Good news but I was hoping she'd rot in jail.
	__________________ Sonny

11-26-2008, 07:36 PM	#4
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	What goes around comes around.... Lori's definitely a pariah now!! And I hope she gets some serious jail time

11-26-2008, 07:38 PM	#5
sunshinefizzy Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 27, 2006 Location: Craptown Posts: 2,054	Even though I strongly feel the suicide was all Megan, I do say great to her sentence. This will haunt her for the rest of her life and I hope she not only knows, but feels it

11-26-2008, 11:03 PM	#7
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	A just verdict. Too bad it carries no jail time. People have to expect that actions have consequences, and often serious ones. Just can't screw with the mind of a troubled teen, and expect to get away with it.

11-27-2008, 02:03 PM	#11
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	Too bad she's not getting jail time. It would be nice to have something more than a slap on the wrist, but I hope she carries this around for the rest of her life: "Wow, my stupidity and suspicious behavior led to the death of young girl with emotional problems. I COULD HAVE gotten a life, I COULD HAVE gotten a life, I COULD HAVE gotten a life......."
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion