Missouri Woman Pleads Not Guilty to MySpace Harassment Charges

A 49-year-old Missouri woman is being tried in Federal Court in Los Angeles for posing as a young boy and taunting a 13-year-old girl on the social networking site MySpace, leading the girl to hang herself. The woman was charged with conspiracy and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). This case is the first time the CFAA is being used in a social networking case.

Prosecutors say Lori Drew created a fake MySpace under the name of “Josh Evans” and initiated a fake friendship with Megan Meier. Drew later used the account to send cruel messages to Meier, culminating in an October 2006 message stating “the world would be a better place without you.” After receiving the message, Meier hanged herself and died the following day.

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