Lori Drew (finally) indicted in MySpace suicide case

Lori Drew, a 49 year-old woman (and mother), has finally been indicted in the Megan Meier suicide case. According to the LA Times, she faces “three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the girl and one count of conspiracy.” As many of you remember, the authorities in Missouri could not find a statute under which to indict Lori Drew, but now, thankfully, the case has been handed over to federal prosecutors.

I am not a believer in policing internet activity, but I am a believer in preventing harassment, especially the kind that causes severe emotional distress. Lori Drew is a 49 year-old woman who had absolutely no business harassing a young girl on the internet, regardless of her motivation. I’m glad to see that she’s been indicted, and I hope this case becomes an example for future internet harassment cases.

When cases like the Meier suicide don’t get prosecuted, even when we know the identity of the assailant, it sends a message to victims of internet (and in-person) harassment that their pleas for help won’t get any attention when they come forward.