Myspace Hoax

[Jiro]

Mom indicted in deadly MySpace hoax

I think you guys recall this news from while back... Lori Drew faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

What she did to that poor girl was abhorrent but I don't know about you... I believe these criminal charges are bullsheeet. To me - it's just a cruel prank gone bad. However, I feel that she should be charged with child endangerment.


Your opinion???

 

[Cheri]

I agree, she should have been charge with child endangerment, she lead that girl into depression, that lead to committed suicide.

 

[Jiro]

I agree, she should have been charge with child endangerment, she lead that girl into depression, that lead to committed suicide.

One can say it's manslaughter. But I say it's child endangerment because she is a 49 years old woman playing a horrible prank on 13 years old girl! It is senseless and cruel of her. Adults like her should know better!

 

[jillio]

Well, child endangerment charges usually result from negligent behavior that has the potential to cause harm, but did not actually cause any harm. This woman's behavior went far beyond negligent. She intentionally set out to cause emotional distress to this teen aged girl. What the hell is a 49 year old woman doing playing these games on MySpace? What kind of example is she setting for her own children? She lied, she manipulated, and she did so intentionally, and she should be held accountable for her actions. I agree with the Federal indictment. Perhaps the legal system can teach this woman's children what she failed miserably to teach them....that this type of behavior is not only morally wrong, it is illegal.

 

[authentic]

She deserve to go to jail for 20 years (not less, but it says UP TO).
I believe girl's parents are in fault, because they weren't that protective during that time.

 

[Cheri]

One can say it's manslaughter. But I say it's child endangerment because she is a 49 years old woman playing a horrible prank on 13 years old girl! It is senseless and cruel of her. Adults like her should know better!

I was thinking of manslaughter also because she told that girl that the world would be a better place without her. It sounds like she is wishing, hoping that she'll be gone, just vanish.

 

[Jiro]

Well, child endangerment charges usually result from negligent behavior that has the potential to cause harm, but did not actually cause any harm. This woman's behavior went far beyond negligent. She intentionally set out to cause emotional distress to this teen aged girl. What the hell is a 49 year old woman doing playing these games on MySpace? What kind of example is she setting for her own children? She lied, she manipulated, and she did so intentionally, and she should be held accountable for her actions. I agree with the Federal indictment. Perhaps the legal system can teach this woman's children what she failed miserably to teach them....that this type of behavior is not only morally wrong, it is illegal.

hhhmmmmm good point. But I don't think she was acting with intention to lead her to suicide resulting from depression. I think she just wanted to hurt her feeling. However, since she's 49 years old... doing this kind of harmful prank on kid is child endangerment to me. Here's some excerpts from some sites about Child Endangerment-

For example, a father who has too many drinks while he is watching his four-year-old son could be prosecuted for child endangerment because he was inebriated while he was responsible for a child. Other examples might include exposing children to illegal drugs, pornography, firearms, chemicals, criminal activity and domestic violence. The purpose of child endangerment laws is to keep children from witnessing adult or illegal activity, and to protect them from situations in which they might get hurt.

This is the legal definition of Child Endangerment under Iowa Law -
726.6 Child endangerment
1. A person who is the parent, guardian, or person having custody or control over a child or a minor under the age of eighteen with a mental or physical disability, or a person who is a member of the household in which a child or such a minor resides, commits child endangerment when the person does any of the following:

a. Knowingly acts in a manner that creates a substantial risk to a child or minor's physical, mental or emotional health or safety.
b. By an intentional act or series of intentional acts, uses unreasonable force, torture or cruelty that results in bodily injury, or that is intended to cause serious injury.
c. By an intentional act or series of intentional acts, evidences unreasonable force, torture or cruelty which causes substantial mental or emotional harm to a child or minor.
d. ..... bunch more but irrelevant to this case
​

That's why I think Child Endangerment is the right one to charge her with but if you were the prosecutor, what would you charge her with? same as what she's being charged with?

 

[jillio]

hhhmmmmm good point. But I don't think she was acting with intention to lead her to suicide resulting from depression. I think she just wanted to hurt her feeling. However, since she's 49 years old... doing this kind of harmful prank on kid is child endangerment to me. Here's some excerpts from some sites about Child Endangerment-

For example, a father who has too many drinks while he is watching his four-year-old son could be prosecuted for child endangerment because he was inebriated while he was responsible for a child. Other examples might include exposing children to illegal drugs, pornography, firearms, chemicals, criminal activity and domestic violence. The purpose of child endangerment laws is to keep children from witnessing adult or illegal activity, and to protect them from situations in which they might get hurt.

This is the legal definition of Child Endangerment under Iowa Law -
726.6 Child endangerment
1. A person who is the parent, guardian, or person having custody or control over a child or a minor under the age of eighteen with a mental or physical disability, or a person who is a member of the household in which a child or such a minor resides, commits child endangerment when the person does any of the following:

a. Knowingly acts in a manner that creates a substantial risk to a child or minor's physical, mental or emotional health or safety.
b. By an intentional act or series of intentional acts, uses unreasonable force, torture or cruelty that results in bodily injury, or that is intended to cause serious injury.
c. By an intentional act or series of intentional acts, evidences unreasonable force, torture or cruelty which causes substantial mental or emotional harm to a child or minor.
d. ..... bunch more but irrelevant to this case
​

That's why I think Child Endangerment is the right one to charge her with but if you were the prosecutor, what would you charge her with? same as what she's being charged with?

The first acts that you listed are what I was referring to when I talked about negligent behavior.

She did not have custody of this child, and under the Iowa law you cited, custody of the minor or living within the same household is a criterion.

As I said, I agree with the federal indictment. Child endangerment is not harsh enough a charge for her behavior.

 

[Jiro]

The first acts that you listed are what I was referring to when I talked about negligent behavior.

She did not have custody of this child, and under the Iowa law you cited, custody of the minor or living within the same household is a criterion.

As I said, I agree with the federal indictment. Child endangerment is not harsh enough a charge for her behavior.

Fair enough. It's getting trickier and more difficult as things are being done via computers.

 

[Rainshower77]

The only problem is, she doesn't have the custody of the girl... but then again, this woman is a adult and should have been looking after children on Myspace (kinda like when a child goes over a friend's house and the parent is there)

 

[deafdyke]

Yes. This sort of behavoir is something VERY vindictive. It's something junoir high school kids do. The perp deserves ALL she's getting coming to her!

 

[Cheri]

The only problem is, she doesn't have the custody of the girl

You have to have custody of a child to be charge with child endangerment? I've seen a baby-sitter had been charged with child endangerment before.

 

[Rainshower77]

A babysitter was expected to look after the child. This woman was not in the same room with this girl ...

But then again, I guess you can be charge of child endangerment over the phone too.

 

[Jiro]

The only problem is, she doesn't have the custody of the girl... but then again, this woman is a adult and should have been looking after children on Myspace (kinda like when a child goes over a friend's house and the parent is there)

it doesn't have to be a person with custody. It also said "....person having custody or control over a child"

 

[Jiro]

it doesn't have to be a person with custody. It also said "....person having custody or control over a child"

oh wait i misunderstood lol. I retract what I just said

 

[Rainshower77]

if anyone be accused of child endangerment, it would be her parents for allowing her to be on MYSPACE, They should have had the computer in a open space so they could check on her.

 

[jillio]

You have to have custody of a child to be charge with child endangerment? I've seen a baby-sitter had been charged with child endangerment before.

And the child was in her physical custody. Just as a teacher has physical custody of a classroom full of children during the time that they are in her care and in the classroom. Custody is not always a legal issue, but a logistical one. A teacher who exposes a classroom full of children could be charged with child endangerment if she exposed them to innappropriate adult materials, such as permitting them to access online pronography from classroom computers.

 

[jillio]

if anyone be accused of child endangerment, it would be her parents for allowing her to be on MYSPACE, They should have had the computer in a open space so they could check on her.

Exactly. Her parents could conceiveably be charged with child endangerment. I doubt that anyone would consider placing charges against them, but because they had both legal and physical custody of her, they would be the ones that would receive the charge of child endangerment.

 

[jillio]

A babysitter was expected to look after the child. This woman was not in the same room with this girl ...

But then again, I guess you can be charge of child endangerment over the phone too.

I don't know about over the phone. That would be a tricky one. Generally having cusotdy of or control over relates to physical presence.

 

[Rainshower77]

I wonder if they would.. like a child call a neighbor for help, but the neighbor refuses to call 911