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Teen sexually assaulted by man she met on MySpace Kills herself, family sues

While the Internet has a wealth of good things going for it, there are some bad points as well. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook illustrate these points well.

Most users of MySpace and Facebook use the sites as they were intended -- a place to meet friends and find like-minded people to chat with and make new friends. However, both Facebook and MySpace have had problems with sexual predators preying on unsuspecting children using the sites.

DailyTech reported earlier this month that Megan Meier, a 13-year-old girl, had committed suicide after a cyber-bully tormented her on her MySpace page. In the case of Meier, the local district attorney said charges were unlikely to be filed.

The Dallas Morning News reports that another young girl, a 14-year-old identified only as Julie Doe from California killed herself in July of 2006 after being sexually assaulted by a 30-year-old man that she had met on MySpace named Kiley Ryan Bowers.

The family of the 14-year-old girl has filed suit against MySpace alleging that it knew about prior sexual assaults by predators using the site and failed to implement security measures to prevent assaults from happening again.

According to documents from the case, the girl’s suicide note said that the failed relationship with Bowers was part of her reasoning for killing herself. Jason Itkin, the attorney for the family of the girl says, “The main goal of these lawsuits is to get MySpace to stand up and put in meaningful protections that will make it more difficult to search out and find young girls.” Itkin and his firm are also representing six other families who have sued MySpace over similar allegations.

DailyTech has previously reported on subpoenas that were issued against MySpace rival Facebook over allegations of soliciting of minors using Facebook’s website. A Wired Magazine editor found 497 convicted sexual predators on MySpace in October of 2006.

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Parents
By cobaltb on 12/13/2007 4:40:41 PM , Rating: 5
At the end of the day, the parents are responsible. Let them play in the sun to long and guess what, they get burned. Too bad few parents see the social danger online communities offer and limit their children's access. Many of these online participants, kids in many cases, build their self esteem from social networks. When the network collapses, so do the person.




RE: Parents
By FITCamaro on 12/13/2007 4:51:45 PM , Rating: 5
Yup. Just another pair of sh*tty parents who are blaming their own failings on someone else. If you haven't taught your daughter to not meet people they met online in real life by the time she's 14, then you've failed as a parent and are responsible for whatever happens.

As much as I hate Myspace, they have implemented security measures to prevent this kind of thing. Whether someone implements them is another matter.

As a side note, considering this did happen, I wish it had been in Texas so the guy would likely be executed or jailed for life.


RE: Parents
By marsbound2024 on 12/13/2007 4:53:37 PM , Rating: 2
Um, I think it is obvious that kids don't always listen to what their parents say.


RE: Parents
By FITCamaro on 12/13/2007 5:04:35 PM , Rating: 5
My parents did a just fine job of making sure I listened. How? By punishing me. And more than just "go to your room". The problem is too many parents a) don't care or b) try to be their kids friend instead of a parent.

My parents made it quite clear when I was growing up that they were not my friends. I got spanked and grounded growing up. Sure I hated them sometimes growing up, but now I appreciate what they did because it taught me respect, discipline, and responsibility.

If your kid doesn't listen to you, then you raised them wrong.


RE: Parents
By marsbound2024 on 12/13/2007 5:13:06 PM , Rating: 5
Well we could get on some sort of philosophical debate. But to be honest, I would believe that over 85% of the population must have been raised wrong by your standards. Because far too many kids get involved with alcohol, cigarettes, and even drugs. Kids also date even if their parents don't want them to. They might decide NOT to go to college or maybe they decide TO go to college.

In my opinion, I do believe that the parents should have had a more firm hand when it comes to meeting people online, especially on crap websites such as Myspace which have little or no security measures in place. However at the same time, in other cases, I think it isn't right for the parents to be dictators. They should allow their kids to learn from their own mistakes in some cases. Obviously not in a case like this, though.

Nonetheless, I would think it would be hard to keep watch over your kids 24/7 especially when parents work. Not all parents are perfect. It doesn't make them sh**ty. Bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to kids who disobey their parents.

The kid could have gotten on Myspace anywhere, not just at home. How can you prevent that? Ban Myspace I suppose... or force Myspace to have much better security policies.

All I know is that I've disobeyed my parents and either found out that it was ok or that I had made a mistake. Humans cannot always be ruled with a steel fist and especially during teenage years a lot of us will rebel in some fashion or another. We learn for ourselves and I think that is a fact. Though appropriate guidance from our parents is needed, a lot of people have different philosophies about how to raise children. Some our flat out wrong and others are just... different. Just because your parenting worked for you, doesn't mean it will for everyone.


RE: Parents
By TomZ on 12/13/2007 5:16:48 PM , Rating: 2
Excellent post, sorry for my somewhat redundant post below, I didn't have the opportunity to read yours prior to submitting mine.


RE: Parents
By clovell on 12/13/2007 5:17:45 PM , Rating: 2
Being a good parent is a tough job, and takes lots of work. Investing the effort into parenting early on pays dividends later in your child's life.


RE: Parents
By Christopher1 on 12/14/2007 3:23:24 AM , Rating: 1
Actually, being a good parent is not tough. The problem today is that we are making things verboten for children, and thereby making them more attractive to them because the children feel that they are 'grown up' for doing them (i.e. alcohol, sex, drugs).

Really, in this case.... all the blame lies on the parents of this girl, with a very little going to the people who harassed her online, though I would like to see those harassers in prison.

I have had people harass me online, and what do I do? Simply ignore them in most cases, and shoot down their arguments one by one. Then, they get banned when they start 'trolling' as they call it.

What kind of life was this girl living where being rejected by someone ONLINE could make her want to commit suicide? I really think I know, having met people who were raised in conservative families (who have a higher rate of kids suiciding): not being allowed to go out and date and get to know boys in real life, not being allowed to go out with friends and relatives, and a few other things.

Basically, her WHOLE LIFE might have been 'online only' so when she was rejected by an imaginary (she didn't know that) boy online..... it devastated her.

This is the reason why my children.... I let them go out and play with anyone who they wish to play with, and get to know people who I don't like in all honesty, just so that they can have their own lives and make their own mistakes and choices and learn to live with life's disappointments.

To round up, there is VERY LITTLE that MySpace could have done in all honesty here: they cannot monitor every single conversation online, every e-mail, etc........ they did what they could when they were informed about a problem, which unfortunately wasn't until after this girl was dead.


RE: Parents
By clovell on 12/14/2007 11:18:08 AM , Rating: 2
I disagree completely. Being strict does not cause kids to do dumb things. Being uninvolved causes kids to do dumb things. Big difference there.

And, if it were easy, everyone would do it.


RE: Parents
By Ryanman on 12/14/2007 3:35:35 PM , Rating: 1
The fact that you're a pedophile Makes pretty much all statements you post on articles like these moot. Quit trolling with your twisted agenda and go hang out at 12chan.

In any case, There's nothing quite like getting money from your kid dying - It's pretty obvious these parents don't care that she died because they couldn't tell she was developing a sexual relationship with a 30 year old man. Myspace COULD make itself unusable by instigating greater security but it just won't work. Get a life you lawyer hugging psychos.


RE: Parents
By Oregonian2 on 12/13/2007 9:06:38 PM , Rating: 2
Those things aren't the issue I think. Their kids ARE their responsibility, even if they don't have time for them (if they didn't have the time, they should have used a condom). Every action isn't under their control, and shouldn't be, but the kid's fundamental values and outlook are, along with the children's health. It isn't Myspace's responsibility. That's like suing a knife-maker for a murder that was used with their knife. There may be a guilty killer around that should be strung up, but it's not the knife. That said, it's good to have a safe holder for the knife to keep the edge from cutting inadvertently -- but it still can kill.


RE: Parents
By Christopher1 on 12/14/2007 3:31:12 AM , Rating: 3
The problem is that some of the 'values' that are being pushed on children today are bankrupt: the idea of someone have a 'one and only' person who is right for them, the idea that sex is a bad thing for them, etc.

As to the children's health..... really, a child's mental health is outside the purview of the parents, just as an adult's is outside the purview of that adult's parents.

There is VERY LITTLE that parents can do for their children's emotional health, and the biggest thing that leads to fragile children like this: not letting the children make their own choice and mistakes, not allowing them to make their own decisions and own morality outside of the 'big three' that I adhere to, not letting them make friends their own age and older, giving them an out when they have been 'sexually abused' and report it MONTHS or YEARS later, and a few other things that I could think of were I to have enough time.

We are protecting our children too much today and are not allowing them to make those 'mental shields' that protect them when someone is 'mean' or 'unfair' to them..... and it's coming back to haunt us with dividends.

Most of this problem is coming from feminism and the feminization of society.... making everything 'touchy-feely' and 'child-safe' when they don't need to be child-safe, and keeping information from children that is the truth, like children have to protect themselves because Mommy, Daddy and society will not always be around to do it.

That is what my friends and lovers when I was a child told me, and it was the truth and made me into what I am today: someone who is VERY self-powerful and doesn't take 'societies' values as being the rote truth.


RE: Parents
By TomZ on 12/14/2007 8:07:01 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
The problem is that some of the 'values' that are being pushed on children today are bankrupt: the idea of someone have a 'one and only' person who is right for them, the idea that sex is a bad thing for them, etc.

Sex is a bad idea for children. You can write 1 million posts saying otherwise, but it doesn't change the facts, or the law. You need professional help, for the sake of yourself and for the safety of all children anywhere near you.


RE: Parents
By jtemplin on 12/14/2007 9:47:11 AM , Rating: 2
lol...


RE: Parents
By Ryanman on 12/14/2007 3:38:58 PM , Rating: 1
yeah lol. Cause he's actually a pedophile and it's not a damn joke.


RE: Parents
By clovell on 12/14/2007 11:30:01 AM , Rating: 2
> There is VERY LITTLE that parents can do for their children's emotional health, and the biggest thing that leads to fragile children like this: not letting the children make their own choice and mistakes, not allowing them to make their own decisions and own morality outside of the 'big three' that I adhere to, not letting them make friends their own age and older, giving them an out when they have been 'sexually abused' and report it MONTHS or YEARS later, and a few other things that I could think of were I to have enough time.

You're full of crap. You seriously think there's almost nothing a parent can do about their child's emotional health? Everyday when I get home from work, my kids drop everything they're doing to come and hug me. If I don't spend time with them, their mood and attitudes suffer. It is well-documented that parents and family play the largest role in a child's emotional health.

Which brings me to my next point. I kept thinking for the longest time that a few of the members here just had some vendetta out for you - that you were being given a hard time without just cause. Now, I realize that you are one sick dude.

> We are protecting our children too much today and are not allowing them to make those 'mental shields' that protect them when someone is 'mean' or 'unfair' to them..... and it's coming back to haunt us with dividends.

No, that's not it. We're not spending enough time and investing enough of ourselves in our children. It has nothing to do with being protectionist. Having involved parents and a stable family are the largest predictors of adolescent behavior. This is proven fact, not your pop-psychology perv propaganda.

> Most of this problem is coming from feminism and the feminization of society.... making everything 'touchy-feely' and 'child-safe' when they don't need to be child-safe, and keeping information from children that is the truth, like children have to protect themselves because Mommy, Daddy and society will not always be around to do it.

See above. It's not protectionism, it's involvement that matters. It's realy a wonder that DT hasn't dropped the hammer on your second account.


RE: Parents
By TomZ on 12/13/2007 5:13:45 PM , Rating: 2
Those are some pretty broad generalizations. Parenting is harder than you think. Even if you do everything to the best of your ability, there is no guarantee that there will be a good outcome, that your kids will apply the lessons you taught them, they will always make good decisions, etc.

In addition, remember that many things we learn are from actual experience, and so you cannot prevent your kids from making all forms of mistakes simply by conveying your wisdom and experience to them. That's kind of the paradox of parenting, in my view - you have all the knowledge and experience to help them avoid mistakes, but kids need to make their own mistakes in order to learn many things.

If you become a parent, you'll probably learn firsthand what I mean.


RE: Parents
By clovell on 12/13/2007 5:21:15 PM , Rating: 2
Right, but being so disconnected from your child as to not notice an improper relationship taking place mostly in your own home is rather inexcusable.

You can't stop kids from screwing up and rebelling, but if you're vigilant, y