Remember how back in December, we were all talking about how sad the Megan Meier case was, and how it was awful that there was no way to prosecute her middle-aged harasser, Lori Drew?[If you need a refresher here's the AP summary. Basically, this insecure girl Megan Meier, 13, met a 16-year-old "boy" on MySpace who turned cruel and pelted her with vicious messages, including one that said the world would be better off without her. Distraught, Megan hanged herself in her closet while her mother was downstairs. It was later revealed that this boy Megan had a crush on was in fact a fiction created online by a classmate's vindictive mother, Lori Drew.]
Well, it looks like there is justice after all.
Drew was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization.
So far, 91% of AOL readers polled approve of the decision to indict.
Hear, hear. Let's hope Megan's unnecessary death is swiftly avenged.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. This case leaves me very uneasy. I mean, it wasn't Lori Drew's fault that the girl committed suicide... on the other hand, according to previous news articles, Megan had a history of depression and Drew knew this. Also it is just dispicable for a grown, middle-aged woman to make a fake MySpace profile solely to harrass a neighbor's daughter. I think the charge of conspiracy is appropriate since it was obvious they meant to harm her in some way (probably just emotionally) when they began sending her messages from the fake 16 year old. Megan was just in too fragile a state to deal with it.
K at 1:05PM on May 19th 2008
2. It's called "gas lighting" or "crazy making". The woman clearly engaged in a psychological attack on a kid with known mental issues. She may have thought it was just a game, but that demonstrates she is unfit as a parent and emotionally arrested as a human.
I'm glad she is being charged. Online bullying is bad enough from one kid to another. She knew better and she did not care.
web jones at 1:58PM on May 19th 2008
3. In the eyes of the law, if a person commits an unlawful act--even a minor one--and, as a result a more serious wrong occurs, the perpetrator is guilty of that outcome as well. Why? Because they had no right to commit the original act. No right to commit an act = responsibility for the outcome. Adding to their guilt is that, A) the act of this deception and harassment was assisted by an adult, B) they knew the victim was on medication for depression.
Keith J. Mohrhoff at 2:07PM on May 19th 2008
4. Where where her parents?!?!
My children don't get unsupervised web time.
Its too unsafe. Letting children surf the "info highway" is like letting them hitch hike on a real highway. Not a good idea.
another question... Why was Drew so P.O.d at this girl? Was there a viable reason for the anger?
Scott Schenck at 4:07PM on May 19th 2008
5. Scott, is there ever viable reason for an adult to harass a 13 year old girl? What, did Megan take her favorite swing on the playground or spill her soda?
Karen at 5:35PM on May 19th 2008
6. Scott,
I have read a few articles on this, and from what I gather, 'apparently' Megan was bad talking Drew's own daughter on MySpace and that's what started the whole thing. Whether that is true or not, I don't know, but an adult is supposed to be the voice of reason in a child's life - not encourage her daughter to harrass and bully, especially someone in such a fragile state of mind as Megan was.
K at 5:55PM on May 19th 2008