The ultimate online slimes.....

[Marshmallowman]

The internet seems anonymous, but for most people its the opposite.. there is a permanent record of almost everything you do unless you know what your doing and really go out of your way to make it anonymous.

[Gurm]

Oh, I don't know. I seriously... this is ridiculous.

I mean, in middle school one cute girl pretended to like me only to tell me later that I was a total loser and she hoped I'd die. Should she go to jail? I'm sure her parents knew she was a little shit. Should THEY go to jail?

I think that people make the Internet out to be something it's not. It's NOT real life. It's just NOT.

If I create an Internet site about blowing stuff up, how is that different from publishing "the Anarchist's Cookbook"? Which... despite congressional inquiry... is NOT illegal. But put it on a web site and people go insane.

Why?

This really HAS gone too far.

[cjolley]

...I'm sure her parents knew she was a little shit. Should THEY go to jail?
...

The mother wasn't indicted for knowing about it, she was indicted for her own actions.
For example, using the Myspace servers to illegally extract personal information from a minor.

[Dr Mordrid]

Right...that plus a Federal conspiracy rap in the commission of that crime, and in Federal courts conspiracy raps have a low standard of proof, making prosecutions rather easy. All told 4 counts at 5 years per = 20 years....and Federal raps are not eligible for parole. You do the full load.

In Michigan each count could be 5 years + 5 years-to-life probation + $20k or more in fines.

[Gurm]

Right...that plus a Federal conspiracy rap in the commission of that crime, and in Federal courts conspiracy raps have a low standard of proof, making prosecutions rather easy. All told 4 counts at 5 years per = 20 years....and Federal raps are not eligible for parole. You do the full load.

In Michigan each count could be 5 years + 5 years-to-life probation + $20k or more in fines.

Yeah, I just don't see it. So Mom helped out with hurting someone else's feelings. Big deal. It's reprehensible but it happens every day in every town in every state of the union. I know, it's "TEH INTARWEBZ" so you have to "make an example". But if you're going to prosecute this woman, go ahead and prosecute every bad parent, or mean self-centered narcissistic mom out there.

It's yet another case of "we don't have a law about this so LET'S MAKE ONE AND HANG THIS WOMAN OUT TO DRY".

And it certainly HELPS that we're all disgusted at her actions. Makes it easier to crucify her. Let's send her to jail for 20 years because she wanted to help her daughter keep her boyfriend. Nice.

[Nowhere]

Yup, the internet is now just another place where people can choose to misbehave in a criminal manner...and the legal system is catching up to that fact. If convicted they then can then look forward to the real a**grabber: an immanent wrongful death civil suit by the girls family.

The internet seems anonymous, but for most people its the opposite.. there is a permanent record of almost everything you do unless you know what your doing and really go out of your way to make it anonymous.

And, as in real life, it's not that "criminals are stupid", it's just that only the stupid ones get caught... (seriously, I think most of us would be able to be untraceable if we really wanted to)

[Dr Mordrid]

This case has resulted in new legislation covering cyber-harassment, and it sounds like they think 20 years in a case like this isn't enough;

Link....

MySpace Suicide Case Leads To Tougher Laws

After the troubling suicide commited by a Missouri teenager due to an Internet related incident, state lawmakers voted and gave final approval yesterday to a bill which will deal with cyber-harassment.

The bill is expected to cover several aspects of the new wave of technology, identifying as illegal the harassment from computers, text messages and many other electronic devices, besides the well known written and telephone communications.

Republican Governor Matt Blunt, who will soon sign the final version of the bill, issued a statement saying that the social networking sites and technology have provided criminals with a whole new set of weapons against their victims and the new protections and penalties are highly needed in order to ensure a safer environment for everyone.

Lori Drew, 49, was indicted on Thursday by a Los Angeles grand jury for her alleged role in an online hoax that led to the suicide of her 13-year-old neighbour Megan Meier of Dardenne Prairie back in 2006.

Lori Drew was accused of creating a fake MySpace identity under the name of “Josh Evans”, a 16 year old boy, making friends and later harassing Megan not long before she committed suicide.

On October 15, 2006, the so-called 16 year-old teenager Josh Evans turned against Megan, sending her negative comments, and ending with a harsh message: “The world would be a better place without you.” According to a police report, Megan later hanged herself in her bedroom closet.

Under the current state laws, the maximum possible penalty that Lori Drew can receive is of twenty years in prison.