Charges In MySpace Suicide, Harassment Case

Wired.com is reporting that a federal indictment has been returned in the horrifying case of Megan Meier, a Missouri 14-year-old who was allegedly hectored and harassed in 2006 until she hanged herself. Charged with one count for conspiracy and three counts "for accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress" (this all relates to alleged violations of MySpace's terms of service) was Lori Drew, the mother of a teen girl who'd apparently had a conflict with Meier. Drew could be looking at as much as 20 years in the pokey for her actions, if convicted.

"'This adult woman allegedly used the internet to target a young teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications,' said United States Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien. 'After 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.'"

The Meier-Drew case is one of the most disgusting cases of Internet misbehavior I've ever encountered and I'm glad to see that there are finally some charges in the case. I wrote about the case and my own experience being harassed on MySpace when the Meier story first surfaced last fall.