Feds in Calif. Probe Mo. Teen's Suicide Over Web Harassment
Authorities in Missouri found no basis on which to pursue criminal charges in the controversial case of a 13-year-old who reportedly hanged herself in 2006 in a town near St. Louis as a result of Internet bullying.
But authorities in Los Angeles have now convened a federal grand jury to investigate the case, saying that they have jurisdiction to do so because the MySpace website on which the alleged harassment took place is headquartered in that area of California, reports the Los Angeles Times.
As discussed in earlier ABAJournal.com posts, the case revolves around an Internet hoax concerning a fictitious online boyfriend of the dead girl, Megan Meier. Media reports that Lori Drew, the mother of a former friend in a neighboring family, bore at least some responsibility for creating the nonexistent 16-year-old who wooed and rejected Meier via the Web sparked national outrage. However, prosecutors in Missouri said they could find no criminal conduct to pursue.
Citing unnamed sources, the Times says today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is looking into potential charges under federal wire fraud and cyber fraud statutes, and is “exploring the possibility of charging Drew with defrauding the MySpace social networking website by allegedly creating the false account.”
Experts note that the prosecution is unusual, and raises potential free speech issues given the common practice of using pseudonyms when posting on the Internet.
Meanwhile, Meier’s suicide has prompted the town of Dardenne Prairie, in which she lived, to enact an ordinance that makes cyber harassment a misdemeanor punishable by as much as 90 days in jail and a $500 fine for each violation.
Other nearby municipalities have passed similar measures, according to the Times, and a task force appointed by the Missouri governor is working on a proposal to enact a statute that would make it a felony for adults to use the Internet to harass children.
