Have you noticed the trend? If you do something government doesn't
like, but there isn't a law against it, "creative prosecution" is used
against you.
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Lori Drew Indicted in MySpace Suicide Case -- Updated
By Kim Zetter EmailMay 15, 2008 | 3:01:41 PMCategories: Crime
Lori_drew_3 A federal grand jury issued an indictment against a woman
in Missouri accused of creating a fake MySpace page to bully a 13-year-
old girl. The girl committed suicide as a result of the bullying.
Lori Drew was indicted this morning in Los Angeles on federal charges
for fraudulently using an account on MySpace. The indictment charges
Drew in four counts -- one count for conspiracy and three counts "for
accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain
information to inflict emotional distress," according to a press
release. The latter charge relates to the Computer Fraud and Abuse
Act.
The indictment (.pdf) alleges that Drew and her co-conspirators
violated MySpace's terms of service, which require registrants to
provide truthful registration information and refrain from soliciting
personal information from anyone under 18 or using information
obtained from MySpace services to harass or harm other people, among
other terms.
If convicted on all four counts, Drew could face up to 20 years in
federal prison.
=93This adult woman allegedly used the internet to target a young
teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications,=94 said United States
Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien. =93After a thorough investigation, we have
charged Ms. Drew with criminally accessing MySpace and violating rules
established to protect young, vulnerable people. Any adult who uses
the internet or a social-gathering website to bully or harass another
person, particularly a young teenage girl, needs to realize that their
actions can have serious consequences.=94
Drew's co-conspirators include her daughter and another teenager,
Ashley Grills, who helped set up the MySpace account and sent comments
to Megan Meier that contributed to her suicide. It was re****ted
earlier this year that Grills was given immunity for her cooperation
with the investigation.
When asked at a press conference what this might mean for other people
who engage in similar behavior, O'Brien responded that, "Anyone who
engages in harassment and violates the law similar to Ms. Drew is
subject to investigation and prosecution on the right facts."
O'Brien said that Drew will be allowed to surrender to authorities and
said he expected that would happen next month in St. Louis, Missouri.
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