A federal jury in Los Angeles has convicted a Missouri woman of three offenses in the cyber-bullying case said to have prompted 13-year-old Megan Meier of Dardenne Prairie – near St. Louis – to take her own life.
Lori Drew was found guilty of three counts of accessing a computer without authorization and could face jail time as each count is punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Drew created a fictitious MySpace character – a teenage boy named "Josh" – who had initially befriended Megan and then turned on her. Megan, who had been treated for depression, committed suicide in 2006 after receiving a message telling her the world would be better off without her.
The jury failed to reach a verdict on a conspiracy charge. It also rejected three felony counts that had been filed against Drew.
