Mom: Web hoax led girl to kill herself
November 18th, 2007 . by TexasFredDARDENNE PRAIRIE, Mo. – Megan Meier thought she had made a new friend in cyberspace when a cute teenage boy named Josh contacted her on MySpace and began exchanging messages with her.
Megan, a 13-year-old who suffered from depression and attention deficit disorder, corresponded with Josh for more than a month before he abruptly ended their friendship, telling her he had heard she was cruel.
The next day Megan committed suicide. Her family learned later that Josh never actually existed; he was created by members of a neighborhood family that included a former friend of Megan’s.
Now Megan’s parents hope the people who made the fraudulent profile on the social networking Web site will be prosecuted, and they are seeking legal changes to safeguard children on the Internet.
The girl’s mother, Tina Meier, said she doesn’t think anyone involved intended for her daughter to kill herself.
Full Story Here:
Mom: Web hoax led girl to kill herself
Some people have no business on the ‘net, some folks need to realize it IS the ‘net and that scams abound, there are many that flock to the web because they can be what they want to be and no one can really prove they’re not what they claim, that’s the nature of the beast, and some don’t care who they hurt, in fact, I believe that some are on the web simply to inflict as much hurt as they possibly can, and some just want to steal as much money as possible, and this is the modern day venue…
I feel bad for the parents that lost their child, that’s a terrible thing to have happen but according to this article, they had a disturbed child on their hands anyway, and I have to wonder, if it wasn’t this particular instance that led the child to commit suicide, would there have been something else, perhaps not even web related??
I have learned a lot about web scams, 9 years ago when I was very new to the web, I was part of a forum/chat room format and one of the posters came in and informed everyone that so and so had been murdered and they were taking up donations to help the family defray the costs of the burial, well, my 1st reaction was to send some money to help out, and quite a few folks involved in this particular room DID send money but I am pretty suspicious by nature, and the person asking for donations had said this murdered person lived in that neighborhood and that they were neighbors, and they named the town…
I called the local police department in that town and it turns out the whole thing was bogus, the person making the claims was the person that had supposedly been murdered and they were simply scamming for cash and their little scam got blown all to hell and back when it hit the pages of the chat room and several folks that had been bilked out of money also called the police and got involved in some kind of fraud prosecution…
Here’s the bottom line, it’s the ‘net, doubt everything you hear that has anything to do with your personal life or the personal life of others, don’t rely on everyone being 100% honest with you about who they are, what they do or what their feelings are concerning you, especially matters of the heart, and if you’re a hard core political blogger that has a tendency to piss people off, don’t try to do it every time someone tells you to go screw yourself, you just can’t DO it…
Some few folks don’t like my attitude on the ‘net but that’s OK too, we all have the ability to click that X in the top right corner and walk away, teach your kids, or any weak-minded adult you may know that has a dangerous ‘net association or addiction going on, don’t put your life out there on the web unless you’re prepared to live it there, and for God’s sake, there is NOTHING that happens on the web that’s worth killing yourself for or wrecking your health over…
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The sick thing about this one is that it was done by adults. Grown adults, the mother of another girl, did this to this poor girl. They were friends and neighbors of the young girls family.
Those adult involved need to be hanged.
I’m sorry, but the internet is nothing more than a reflection of Life In General. If you’re too stupid to exist in common life, then you’re too stupid to exist on the net. If you’re a parent and take a “hands-off” philosophy with your kids because you want to be their best friends instead of their actual fucking PARENTS, then the final equation is what you deserve. Cold? Callous? So fucking be it. It’s called “thinning the herd” and it goes on every second, minute, hour, day, week, year. It will never stop because, quite frankly, there is NO fixing stupid.
And further: life WILL go on without you or your precious child.
BZ
BZ just put the finishing touches on this post, I knew there was a closing I was looking for and just couldn’t quite hit it, thanks BZ, damn good closing…
What TexasFred said..
Bad words, LMFAO BZ.
I have no pity for anyone who commits suicide, none. Do I wish I did, NO.
Like BZ and Fred, where are the parents?
Ranando: a thousand apologies for the bombs. There I go being lazy.
BZ
As details about Lori Drew’s 6 week cyber-voyeur techniques emerged, the more I am convinced that outing this kind of behavior is not only right, but essential. Essential? Really?
It is becoming clearer everyday that Lori Drew employed many of the same grooming techniques that child predators utilize to charm their way into gaining a child’s trust. The most significant key here is that Lori Drew spent approximately 6 full weeks baiting Megan into this trust by posing as a “cute” boy that Megan would be attracted to.
Right here, Drew utilizes the sexual stimulation that exists in male/female pair bonding in order to manipulate the 13 year old girl.
Lori Drew groomed her victim like many child predators do, enticing her with flirtation, mild sexual conversation and playing on Megan’s weakness. Lori knew that Megan had a low self esteem and was treated for depression.
There are uncanny parallels between the typical Child Predator MOA and those utilized by Lori Drew to control and manipulate Megan in the relationship Lori developed with her.
Outing Child Predators has been public policy in most states and is usually upheld under the premise that the public has a right to reasonably protect itself from criminal behavior where it exists. Families with children have a right to know when those who might prey upon their child, live nearby. Public policy dictates that if a child is exposed to potential harm from predatory activity, then parents should at least have the opportunity to be aware such harm may exist.
But what if a child predator confesses to a crime, but is never convicted? Does the potential for risk exist despite the legal process?
Thus far, details in the case have been heavily supported by Lori Drew’s own admissions, police records and interviews. The amount of speculation in this case has been minimal, and the majority of public outrage has largely focused on the facts presented.
The Missouri Public Records Act of 1961 was enacted partially to inform the public of persons, events, proceedings and reports that may effect the public directly. The records (such as the charges Lori Drew filed against the Meier family), were the principal documents used to tie Lori Drew to her abhorrent acts. By filing this police report, Lori in effect put herself into the spot light. The Blogging community simply connected the dots and reported the results.
The Vice enjoys the sharp irony that Lori Drew’s own actions, activities and zeal to hurt someone eventually lead to her own uncovering. As I see it, public policy laws and Lori Drew’s own manipulations of those laws worked to her undoing. The Vice is appreciative for Lori Drew’s assistance in these efforts.
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
On Wednesday, October 21st, city officials wasted no time enacting an ordinance designed to address the public outcry for justice in the Megan Meier tragedy. The six member Board of Aldermen made Internet harassment a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.
Does this new law provide any justice for Megan? Does this law provide equitable relief for a future victim?
The Vice rejects the premise of this new law and believes it completely misses the mark. Classifying this case as a harassment issue completely fails to address the most serious aspects of the methods Lori Drew employed to lead this youth to her demise. The Vice disagrees that harassment was even a factor in this case until just a couple of days before Megan’s death.
Considering this case a harassment issue is incorrect because during the 5 weeks Lori Drew baited and groomed her victim, the attention was NOT unwanted attention. Megan participated in the conversations willingly because she was misled, lured, manipulated and exploited without her knowledge.
This law willfully sets a precedent that future child exploiters and predators might use to reclassify their cases as harassment cases. In effect, the law enacted to give Megan justice, may make her even more vulnerable. So long as the child victim doesn’t tell the predator to stop, even a harassment charge may not stick with the right circumstances and a good defender.
Every aspect of this case follows the same procedural requirement used to convict a Child Predator. A child was manipulated by an adult. A child was engaged in sexually explicit conversation (as acknowledged by Lori Drew herself). An adult imposed her will on a child by misleading her, using a profile designed to sexually or intimately attract the 13 year old Megan.
Lori then utilized the power she had gained over this child to cause significant distress and endangerment to that child. She even stipulated to many of these activities in the police report she filed shortly after Megan’s death.
City officials who continue to ignore this viable, documented admission and continue to address this issue as harassment are intentionally burying their heads in the sand, when the solution is staring them right in the face. Why?
There are several other child exploitation laws on the books. To date, none of them have even been considered by City, State and Federal officials in this case. The Vice is outraged that a motion was never even filed, so that the case could at least be argued before a judge or jury.
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com