By: rorsmorningstar
16/05/2008
10:55 am Yahoo! Profile:
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US woman indicted in MySpace suicide
An American mother has been indicted in connection with a MySpace hoax that ended with a 13-year-old girl committing suicide after being spurned by a fictitious boy.
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted Lori Drew, 49, on criminal charges of conspiracy and accessing MySpace computers "without authorisation to inflict emotional distress on the girl".
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"This adult woman used the internet to target an innocent girl with horrendous consequences," Los Angeles US Attorney Thomas O'Brien said during a press conference announcing the indictment on Thursday.
"Any adult who uses the internet or a social networking website to bully another person, particularly a vulnerable teenage girl, should realise this has serious consequences."
Drew was among several adults who pretended to be a 16-year-old boy named "Josh" on MySpace, according to prosecutors. The girl met "Josh" in the online community after she opened her MySpace account in 2006.
"Within days Josh was telling her she was sexy," O'Brien said. "The flirting continued for three weeks."
Josh broke off the virtual relationship and sent the girl a message saying the world would be better off without her, according to prosecutors. Within an hour of receiving the message the girl hanged herself in her bedroom.
Drew and "co-conspirators" used her home computer to chat with the girl on MySpace and gleaned from online exchanges to "torment, harass, humiliate and embarrass" the girl, according to the indictment.
"MySpace does not tolerate cyberbullying and is cooperating fully with the US Attorney in this matter," MySpace said in a written reply to an AFP inquiry.
Drew deleted the "Josh" profile from MySpace after getting word that the girl, a neighbour, hanged herself, according to prosecutors.
"This adult hid behind cyber walls in cyberspace," Los Angeles FBI assistant director Salvador Hernandez said during the press conference.
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By: rorsmorningstar
16/05/2008
10:56 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| She should go to jail for life I reckon. |
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By: skidmader
16/05/2008
11:05 am Yahoo! Profile:
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Don't you think life in jail is quite extreme considering murderers get lesser sentences?
I mean, let's take a look at the facts here if this person gets charged....
If you tell someone they are a jerk and should walk into oncoming traffic.... and they do.... will you accept a life sentence for that? Where does responsibility for ones own actions come into effect any more? |
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By: rorsmorningstar
16/05/2008
11:08 am Yahoo! Profile:
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Rememeber this is between an adult and a child...The adult should have known better.
I just think it sounds like this woman is getting off light...what a low life. |
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By: fishman9565
16/05/2008
11:10 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| Your forgetting one fact skidmader,The girl was 16 years old.A young girl going through adolecence.Do you think its ok for an adult to say s h i t to a child that would make them suicide?.the Bi t c h should rot in jail and go to hell for what she said to that poor kid.scum bag b i t c h . |
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By: betty_spagettee_legs
16/05/2008
11:11 am Yahoo! Profile:
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>> I mean, let's take a look at the facts here if this person gets charged....<<
>> 13-year-old girl committing suicide after being spurned by a fictitious boy.
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted Lori Drew, 49 <<
don't have to look real hard at the facts, sad and sickening |
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By: shailyamei
16/05/2008
11:12 am Yahoo! Profile:
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The girl was 16 years old (fishman9565)
______________
No she wasn't; she was only 13. |
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By: rorsmorningstar
16/05/2008
11:13 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| fisherman - she was 13...(not that it makes a difference) |
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By: fishman9565
16/05/2008
11:13 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| well thats even worse. |
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By: aussiefree2ride
16/05/2008
11:20 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| Any adult knows that a kid that age is likely to be fragile - If this case is proven all involved, including anyone who knew this was happening should be hanged. |
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By: skidmader
16/05/2008
11:20 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| To be perfectly honest I dont care how old the girl is. If she's prepared to commit suicide over the opinion of someone online that she never met before it says more to me about major issues with the young girl then major issues with the adults. Why? Because group mentality behaviour of that sort displayed by the adults is quite common, its definitely not right, but it is common. Where as the behaviour of commiting suicide due to comments by someone who should hold a very limited influence in your life is quite scary. Obviously the newspaper would have reported if the girl had any mental issues to further beef up the stupidity of the adults but there was none reported. Imagine if everyone that got picked on as a teenageer commited suicide and anyone who caused it was charged? Half the world would be dead and the rest in jail. |
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By: rorsmorningstar
16/05/2008
11:22 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| It doesn't matter if she had some issues of her own...she was still pushed over the edge by this stupid prank. |
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By: skidmader
16/05/2008
11:26 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| And how many time in your life as a teenager could you have been pushed over the edge? |
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By: you_know_squatt
16/05/2008
11:36 am Yahoo! Profile:
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13 year old girl groomed and persued by a adult pretending to be boy her own age and than told to drop dead?
Skidmark you are a moron with such a moronic attitude! |
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By: skidmader
16/05/2008
11:51 am Yahoo! Profile:
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"13 year old girl groomed and persued by a adult pretending to be boy her own age and than told to drop dead?
Skidmark you are a moron with such a moronic attitude!"
I consider myself rational. See rationalising this situation shows me that what everyone here wants is all these situations to result in the death penalty as well...
Group of teens tease kid at school - kid commits suicide. Teasers to be sentenced to death
Teenager shows interest in girl/boy for reasons other then assumption of girl/boy. Alternative reasons revealed. Boy/Girl commits suicide - Teenager with alternative motives sentenced to death.
Sexual abuse victim commits suicide - person who commited sexual abuse to be killed
Husband or wife cheats on parter, partner commits suicide - cheater to be killed
Can anyone show me where in this situation the girl was aware it was adults playing a prank on her?????
As far as the newspaper reports this girl commited suicide because a boy didn't like her and told her to drop dead. Is teen heartbreak that uncommon?
Call me a moron all you want, I never denied what the adults did was heartless, but it wont change my opinion in that I will call anyone who commits suicide over an internet rejection a moron and anyone who commands the death penalty on a prankster an over the top moron. |
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By: shailyamei
16/05/2008
11:51 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| I think any adult trying to engage in some form of online interation/relationship with children are the one's with the problem. Let's look at the facts; the girl thought she was chatting with a factitious 16 year old boy. The adult KNEW DARN WELL they were chatting with a vulnerable and impressionable 13 year old girl and did so for their own self gratification. Whether this gratification was for humour, or sexual perversion or just to see what happens - it is wrong. |
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By: smossman82
16/05/2008
12:02 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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When i was 17, i was going through a bunch of stuff. I don't know why, but i thought it would be really funny to prank someone. A friend at school gave me the number of a friend of hers from Polish school, a boy about my age. I pranked him a few times. A crazy friend of mine called him asking him who he wanted to be beaten up (pretending to be a hitman, offering to work for him). Apparently, it really freaked him out. I thought it was real funny. I became obsessive, i started pranking him incessantly, every day, even at stupid hours. He texted me and threatened to call the cops. I didn't care. Eventually, he did call the cops. I got a call from them at 7am one morning. They knew my identity, where i lived, everything. Not that it was that hard to figure out, as my phone was on a contract and my number was appearing on his phone screen. Because i was 17 and wasn't technically a state ward, they also contacted the guarantor of the phone - my mum - who called me and had a stress attack at me.
The boy didn't end up pressing charges.
At the time, i was going through alot myself, but i am really sorry that i put him through that much trauma. Apparently, he couldn't sleep and was terrified. I'm glad he didn't end up charging me.
Anyway, i don't know what was going through this woman's sick mind, if she really gave much thought to how it might affect this girl.
She should not be held accountable for the girl's actions, but for her own actions - doing something intensly cruel, and suggesting that her suiciding would make the world a better place. It was emotionally and psychologically abusive. I hope the woman gets help. |
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By: rorsmorningstar
16/05/2008
12:03 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Also how could the adult knowingly let the "relationship" get so deep...Stupid woman |
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By: skidmader
16/05/2008
12:07 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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"She should not be held accountable for the girl's actions, but for her own actions - doing something intensly cruel, and suggesting that her suiciding would make the world a better place. It was emotionally and psychologically abusive. I hope the woman gets help."
Exactly. Everyone here wants people to accept responsibility for other peoples actions though. If you don't think that way... your a moron it seems. |
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By: poddlingpumpy
16/05/2008
12:14 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Isn't this just the saddest, saddest thing? Think of how the poor girl must have been craving acceptance, love, approval, HAPPINESS, for god's sake - and to be cheated by grown, mature adults...
I think we all, underneath, realise the gravity of stealing innocence. We all once had it, we all had it whisked away, we all crave to have it back again. Is it our anger at having lost that so-precious thing that drives some of us to take it from those still possessing it, out of sheer envy? I reckon I'm right on that.
I used to work as a detailer at a prestige car place in Sydney. The mechanics used to abuse one young apprentice, mentally, physically - and ceaselessly. Their justification would be, no doubt, that "the same thing happened to me". Isn't this in some ways an encapsulation of what drives adults to do such things? An inner fury at the perceived injustice done them - and a desire NOT to see it in others, from mean-spirited jealousy?
And yet they would beat the living snot out of you were you to suggest that they didn't really love their children. |
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By: shailyamei
16/05/2008
12:16 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Her actions has had a direct impact on the girls actions which is why it is in Court and the woman is being charged. |
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By: poddlingpumpy
16/05/2008
12:17 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Hey, Smossman - great post. Thanks. |
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By: skidmader
16/05/2008
12:47 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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"Her actions has had a direct impact on the girls actions which is why it is in Court and the woman is being charged."
But we have to look at possible major implications of this.
1. If it was really a 16 year old boy that was chatting to her and abused her, it is no ones fault but her own that she commited suicide?
2. Do adults have to be held fully responsible and face prosecution for ALL the actions of a child if they EVER lie to a child online, no matter what lie it is? As a lie in itself is a form of abuse. An abuse of trust.
A case like this can skewer where responsibility of ones self lies incredibly. |
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By: poddlingpumpy
16/05/2008
12:50 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Look up the word 'mean-spirited', Skid. and yes, it IS one word - a hyphen, see?
Stop trying to justify your nastiness. Have some sympathy, for God's sake! What are you trying to prove? (Rhetorical question!!!!) |
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By: skidmader
16/05/2008
1:03 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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"Look up the word 'mean-spirited', Skid. and yes, it IS one word - a hyphen, see?
Stop trying to justify your nastiness. Have some sympathy, for God's sake! What are you trying to prove? (Rhetorical question!!!!)"
What difference does it make. I'm basing my arguments on logic. Your basing yours on emotion. |
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