World
Mo. mom charged in online hoax
Los Angeles | May 16, 2008 12:01:13 AM IST
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles Thursday indicted a Missouri woman involved in an online hoax that ended in the suicide of a teenage girl. The indictment charged Lori Drew of O'Fallon, Mo., with three counts of obtaining protected information used to cause emotional distress to Megan Meier and one count of conspiracy, the Los Angeles Times reported. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles took on the case on the theory that Drew defrauded MySpace, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., when she pretended to be someone else online. Meier, 13, hanged herself in 2006 after receiving messages of rejection from someone she thought was a 16-year-old boy. Missouri prosecutors said they could find no grounds to bring a case against Drew, a neighbor of the girl and her family. I just want some justice after all this time, Ron Meier, Megan's father, said. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I actually have hope. Drew's lawyer said one of the first issues he will raise is why the charges were being brought in California. After Missouri prosecutors decided in December the evidence did not meet standards for bringing charges of harassment, stalking or endangering the welfare of a child, Drew's attorney said her life had been ruined for something she did not do. (UPI)
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