Lori Drew Broke the law

[Angela Williams]

THE US COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT OF 1996
While the Communications Act referred only to "interstate or foreign communication (harassment) by means of telephone", the amended version proposed in 1996 (called the Telecommunications Act) changed that text to refer instead to "interstate or foreign communication (harassment) by means of a telecommunications device." This change was brought about directly by the rise of harassment on the rapidly growing Internet, and the subsequent lack of legislation to deal with it.
Title V of this bill was named Obscene Or Harassing Use Of Telecommunications Facilities Under The Communications Act Of 1934. Section. 501 of this new bill named it the Communications Decency Act of 1996, and proposed to amend the Communications Act to make illegal the use of a telecommunications device (i.e. including Internet technology) that:
makes, creates, or solicits, and initiates the transmission of, any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent, with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another person
-or-
makes a telephone call or utilizes a telecommunications device, whether or not conversation or communication ensues, without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person at the called number or who receives the communications;
-or-
makes repeated telephone calls or repeatedly initiates communication with a telecommunications device, during which conversation or communication ensues, solely to harass any person at the called number or who receives the communication.
These US Federal anti cyberstalking laws were passed in 1996. While other parts of the CDA failed to satisfy the US Supreme Court and were struck down as infringing on Free Speech, the anti cyberstalking sections were not challenged.
The CDA text and associated documents can be found at The US House of Representatives Internet Law Library

[Angela Williams]

I am tierd of hearing about this debate rather or not she broke the law. Not only did she violate the US Communications decency act of 1996-which she cleary harassed this child and utilized a communications device without disclosing her identity with the intent to annoy,abuse,or harass Megan
she also commited an identity crime by definition

1 Identity Crime is a generic term for Identity Theft, creating a False Identity or committing Identity Fraud.
2 False Identity is:
(a) a fictitious (i.e. invented) identity; or
(b) an existing (i.e. genuine) identity that has been altered to create a fictitious identity.

3 Identity Theft occurs when sufficient information about an identity is obtained to facilitate Identity Fraud, irrespective of whether, in the case of an individual, the victim is alive or dead.
4 Identity Fraud occurs when a False Identity or someone else’s identity details are used to support unlawful activity, or when someone avoids obligation/liability by falsely claiming that he/she was the victim of Identity
Fraud.

[Alex]

I agree completely and hope you have sent a copy of this to the police department in her city as well as the congressman and representative for her state. The DA's office should get a copy as well. What this woman did was inexcusable and she NEEDS to pay for it.

[catherine]

I wish I had their address so I could send a card. I feel as if my own daughter was murdered. They are living four houses down from a psychopath. Poor sad people. How terrible this is. I hear they have separated because of this. Sometimes, losing a child destroys a family. God bless them both and their poor daughter.

[A Fratelli-Ithaca NY]

I just read about this unbelievablely cruel, sadistic and inhuman behavior from this 41 year old excuse of human being. I'm even more incensed at the action of the law in this case. There seems to be plenty of evidence that this act was patently illegal, so what is the "law" waiting for. At the vary least she should be charged with contributing to the death of a minor. I do hope that the good people of your city take this very seriously. This person must be brought to answer for her monstrous behavior.

[just here]

If you want addresses go to
http://bluemerle.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-yo...

[jtb]

Lori Drew is the definition of EVIL. She should be punishable by some law. At the least, all of the assets of the Drew family should be transferred to the Meiers. Even if it's in the millions it can't begin to compensate them for their loss.

[Danny Vice]

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

[Pak31]

This world is filled with evil people. That is one good reason why kids, yes kids, shouldn't be on MySpace accounts. Meeting a boy on line?? At 13?? A lot of the time, it IS a scam. This mother should not have let her troubled 13 yr old daughter communicate with someone she didn't physically know. My God, she was only a 13 year old child. Let a 13 year old hang out with friends, go shopping, movies, etc. The dating stuff can wait. Lori Drew is an evil idiot. She could have just talked with Megan's mother, duh. She stooped to the lowest of levels here and should be punished.

[Rachel]

Hey Lori, I hope you read these comments. You are the reason a 13 year old is in her grave. How does it feel to know the entire country hopes you rot in hell?
SO glad her name was finally published.

[Steve]

Lori shopuld be tried for murder, Lori Drew must have been so jelous of megan to pull off such a horrific deed, what a sleeze bag. I am so angry this piece of $hit is getting away with a slap on the wrist. Hope you rot in hell Lori Drew, maybe you ought to hang yourself. Rest in Peace Megan, i never knew you but i know, you must have been an angel for a 40 year old to torment you. God please Bless Megan

[Marisol]

LORI DREW, should be ashamed of herself, she's an adult for God's sake!!!
I doubt she can live with a fair conscience, she should commit suicide herself or think if she would like one of their own to do the same as Megan Meier.
Shame on LORI DREW forever..........

[max]

what harm did all this do to lori drews daughter?what happen to aiding the delinquancy of a minor?is she a fit mother?conspercy to ccommit fraud?

[DanCnKC]

We have a county prosecutor and a defense attorney who have gone on the record with statements that flat out rewrite history and previous statements.

If we were to believe that the statements Lori Drew is now making are truthful, and the police report she filed in Nov. 2006, was incorrect, then Lori Drew should be prosecuted for filing a false police, making a false statement or obstruction of justice.

Lori Drew, through her attorney Jim Briscoe has made the following statement:

"Everything, as far as Mrs. Drew knew, was that all the communication was nice and polite and there was no harassing going on. She did not create the MySpace account. She did not instruct anybody to create the MySpace account. She never made any communications through the MySpace account."

Well alright Lori, now that you've completely absolved yourself from the case in any way, shape or form, please explain how this squares with your previous statements.

When it all comes down to it, we simply don't believe you. We'll take the officer's account of what you said above what your attorney says. He was not being paid to defend you.

Jack Banas, we are calling for charges in this case one way or another.

Either the women did stalk this child, or she made knowingly false statements to the police prior to the surfacing of this report.

You cannot absolve this woman of complete wrong doing on both sides of the fence. Pick a side or step down and let someone take over who can. Too many admissions have been publicly made for you to continue to hide under your desk.

Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com

[Lori Took Away Megan]

She should be doing life in prison for murder.

How can she get away with it and just laugh it off and be so arrogant? The world is ashamed of this low life peace of garbage.

[Dardenne Resident]

She has been allowed to get away with it, for the most part because the P. A. in this county is a uselss politician named Jack Banas.

Banas couldn't find a law that applied to this case. The original post on this thread provides the law.

The sheriff of this county is non-existant on the issue as well. Repeated emails, and contact has led to absolutely no response from the Sheriff.

St. Charles County has a long way to go to get caught up to the modern times that hav encompassed the area.

A few of the Mayors and others with some power in the area are doing their best. But without a prosecutiing attorney or sherrif to enforce the laws- it will be a waste of time.

[Dardenne Resident]

Furthermore- to show the total lack of desire by the PA- Lori Drew - in her own words- has proven she needs some charges applied. Her original testimony to police is not what she has since purported. It seems she has commited a violation as simple to charge as 'filing a false police report'.

Again- Banas has failed this community.