Charges Thrown Out in MySpace Mom Case
Thursday, July 2, 2009
A Missouri mom has tentatively been acquitted on charges she caused a teen to commit suicide by setting up a fake MySpace account.
A Federal judge tentatively threw out the convictions of a Missouri mom who had been charged with fraud in connection with a fake MySpace page targeting her 13-year-old neighbor. That teen girl later committed suicide.
50-year-old Lori Drew was convicted in November of three misdemeanor counts of illegally accessing a protected computer. The charges stemmed from the death of 13-year-old Megan Meier, who committed suicide after being dumped on MySpace by a fictitious boy Drew helped create.
U.S. District Judge George H. Wu said his decision is tentative, and will not become final until he issues a written ruling.
Prosecutors had urged the judge to send Drew to federal prison for three years even though probation officers recommended she receive probation and pay a $5,000 fine. Drew's attorney argues she should not go to jail or pay a fine because she has already suffered financially as a result of the case.
Drew was charged after the 2006 suicide of Meier, a sometimes friend of her daughter. At the time, the Drews lived four doors down the street from the Meiers in Dardenne Prairie, Mo. Megan, who had been treated for depression, hanged herself at home after reading a MySpace posting from "Josh Evans," a fake persona invented by Drew and two unindicted co-conspirators. The message told the girl the world would be better off without her, according to prosecutors.
Drew's attorney said at trial that Drew never knew the teen had a history of depression. But Megan's mother -- Tina Meier -- testified that she had discussed her daughter's depression with Drew before the suicide. Drew did not testify.
Although the alleged crime she was charged with took place in Missouri, the trial was set in Los Angeles because MySpace's computer servers are in Beverly Hills.
Email17 comments so far | Post a comment now >>
disgusting!!!!! that woman deserves to get the book thrown at her. my thoughts and prayers are with the family of megan.
- Shannon
That woman is just as responsible for that girls death as she be be had she held the rope herself. Her actions directly caused the death of another…how is she not culpable?
- Reenie
This woman is a perpetrator of the psychological abuse of a child and cyber terrorism and is most certainly culpable. If we follow the Judges logic about not reading the terms of use somehow absolves us of responsibility then every bank that does’nt display a sign stating ‘PLEASE DON’T ROB US” is fair game.
- Robert
Reenie: By your logic, if you’re mowing the lawn and leave the gas can on your driveway, and the neighbor kid steals it and uses it to start a fire; YOU are responsible. What Drew did was reprehensible, and it was wrong, but she is no more responsible for the victims death than a manufacturer of bullets is responsible for a homicide. The usual assumption in cases of suicide is that the victim was not entirely mentally stable. The question of the parenting is also raised -both in the question of whether well-raised kids kill themselves, and whether the parents were as involved as they perhaps should have been in her online activities. In my opinion, Drew should be hit with the maximum penalties for violating the service agreement (the very idea that she can be excused for not reading it is ridiculous). She’s the worst kind of human being, but she’s not a murderer. And parents everywhere should take it as a lesson to be more involved with their kids. What everyone needs to remember is: what if “Josh Evans” was a real person? The outcome would have been the same, but if this was a minor, expressing his honest opinion; would anyone be calling him a murderer? Would this have been a court case? Kids that age are brutal; we all grew up with it, the rest of us overcame it.
- Wyverndude
Wyverndude You showed brillant logic with your comment Parents should spend more time with their children, Instead of giving them unlimited freedom to use the PC. Learn what they are doing online as well as at school
- NICK
How about the terms of agreement for life. Don’t we agree to try to be decient people and do unto others as we would have done to us. This child was fragile and they treated her without regard. I can only hope that God will treat her with the same regard.
- Rex Little
I think she should pay for what she did. I can’t believe the judge threw it out! She is an adult and knew better. That is why she should pay for creating that account that caused the poor girl’s death. They need to throw the book at her and make her suffer the way Megan’s family is suffering. An eye for an eye!
- Jeannine
I think she should pay for what she did. I can’t believe the judge threw it out! She is an adult and knew better. That is why she should pay for creating that account that caused the poor girl’s death. They need to throw the book at her and make her suffer the way Megan’s family is suffering. An eye for an eye!
- Anonymous
Really, this so called woman should know that adults cannot physically abuse children. She mentally beat the girl up and knew she was doing it. She had a plan and followed through. How do I contact the Judge? If this is all okay does that mean anyone can torment HER daughter now? I hope the Judge says NO!!!! The lady should be guilty of 2nd degree murder! After all, her intention was to hurt the girl! Connie
- Anonymous
I am shocked that the judge threw the case out. This woman violated the contract of myspace. She is an adult and should have known better. Why do we have a court system? This women killed this little girl, whether she knew of her depression or! Since when so adults sit on the internet and create fake names and correspond with 13 yr. olds? She should pay the price and maybe she’ll think twice about corresponding with a 13 yr. old on behalf of her daughter.
- Anonymous
I can’t help but wonder how many respondents are parents of teenage children? Worse, how many have raised a child with mental issues (regardless of severity). Clearly Lori has known the Mier family long enough and well enough to be at least remotely aware of Megans condition. This one aspect alone makes this whole case a slam dunk, against Lori. It is also clear that Megan’s parents supervised to some degree (better than most parents it would seem) and neither Megan nor her parents were prepared for the very sudden change of heart by the phoney “person”. This whole charade took place over weeks, not just a few hours or days. It was calculated, it was with malacious intent, and to ignore the possibility of a serious negative outcome was beyond stupid for even a teenager, but we’re talking about a 50 year old mother! A punishment is clearly due, though to what extreme is open to debate. Give her some prison time, and make sure her fellow inmates know why, that should help wake her up.
- Frank
This woman needs to be made an example. Words are words and no matter where they come from the WORDS kill. She killed that girl. She must pay. A man judged her, doesn’t that say enough, men allow men to kill each other. Not women. New trial, now!
- ann
It’s calle d ENTRAPMENT people. It’s a crime. Pay for her crime. She must be held responsible for her abominable actions. Her daugher learned she can hide behind this electronic veil and murder another’s fragile self esteem if she has more a mouth than everybody else. We did not grow up in the 50’s or 60’s with 30,000 people watching us be utterly humiliated and the fool who said that is just that A FOOL.
- ann
ALL I CAN SAY IS, SHE IS JUST LUCKEY THAT SHE DID NOT DO THAT TO ANYONE IN MY FAMILY!!!! HOW CAN SHE LOOK AT HERSELF IN THE MIRROR EVERY DAY OR ANY ONE ELSE,WHAT SHE DID IS SO WRONG. THE COURTS ARE OPENING UP THE DOOR FOR MORE INSECURE AND UNSTABLE PEOPLE TO HURT YOUNG YOUTHS-SAD SAD SAD
- debbie
I have just overlooked all comments and I can’t believe the comments of how its the parents fault! That woman is an adult who was harrassing a child whether it was in “Cyber Space” or not. If she sent letters in writing rather than the internet then she would have been held responsible. THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH TODAYS WORLD!! The parents don’t know as much as the kids about the internet and cyber space and with today’s society of trying to keep up with teenagers is a full time job in itself, never mind when parents are working full time to make ends meet. I have taken computer courses and still can’t keep up with my kids and what they are learning about the internet and the social networking websites. I believe we are going to read more and more about this. Schools aren’t helping either because they are making it mandatory for these kids to learn and utilize these sites and where are the parents? They are working at their jobs and trying to keep up with the house and everything else the kids are in. This judge has a chance to set a standard that needs to be set and its a shame that he’s not man enough to set this standard. He is just being like everyone else, people know there is a problem but keep turning their heads instead of taking a stand and trying to set an example! Instead of playing the blame game on parents in general, people need to start helping society and set limits for the internet. Its disgusting that this is not being used as an example to all predators. If its okay for her then I guess its okay for the child molesters who take advantage of minors on the internet. Where is the judge’s decency and common sense. Can’t he see what’s going on with this internet and how its hurting the children and he has the power to set an example. Shame on him, that’s all I have to say.
- Gail
Good for the Judge! Parents should be monitoring the activities of their 13 year olds, not waiting for something tragic like this to happen and then try to blame someone else! If the parents had been responsible in raising this child, I can safely assume that this would not have played out the way it did. Parents: It may make you unpopular to your kids, but stay on top of what they do and who they do it with. That is your job!
- Ellen
Boy…This is a sickening one ! I really feel sad/sorry for Megan’s Family; BE STRONG MEIERS’…. As days goes by we are seeing alot of sickening-acts ! If it were kids doing them-it’s understandable. BUT-these are done by Adults! What a Shame….. The kids look-up to us to help/defend them; here, we find Heartless Adults doing some sickening things !!! In the old days, the Prison was a place for real hardcore crimes (murders)…NOW, people are doing all the non-sensical acts. BOY! Our prisons are really Full. What are we gonna do with all these ‘sick’ people ?!!!! NICK-U ARE RIGHT abt Parents spending time with our kids ! Their good up-bringing starts with us, Parents ! GAIL-U ARE RIGHT too; Adults should behave & be responsible for their acts! My heartfelt Condolences to the MEIERS! GOD BLESS U ALL THERE….
- Duncan
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