Cyberbullying laws came about largely in the fallout from the “MySpace Mom” case, and are proliferating with internet speed.
Yahoo’s Tech Blog tells us about “another woman old enough to know better”– 40-year-old Elizabeth Thrasher, who is now the first person arrested under the state of Missouri’s new laws.
Thrasher used Craigslist to post a sexual ad with the photos, e-mail address and cell phone number of a 17-year old girl, (who appears to be the daughter of a woman who is seeing Thrasher’s ex-husband). Thrasher was arrested and later freed on $10,000 bond, but is now preliminarily barred from having a computer or internet access in her home pending her trial. If convicted, Thrasher could face up to four years in state prison, a year in county jail, or a $5,000 fine.
While misdemeanor cases have been filed since the Lori Drew “MySpace Mom” case, Thrasher’s is the first felony issue to come before the courts.
Missouri’s new cyberbullying law is specifically designed to product those under 18 from the online antics of those 21 and older, and it seems young people need the protection. Nine states now have cyberbullying laws, according to Social Safety.org. Twenty other states have began to investigate and construct proposals that address bullying and cyberbullying, but do not have official legislation drafted or pending.
If you’re wondering what happened to the MySpace Mom, she was harassed via cyberspace, and her home was twice vandalized, so she had to close her home-based business and move out of state. A jury later found her guilty of three misdemeanor charges and she faced a maximum of three years in prison and $300,000 fine. The verdict was tentatively overturned but she’s still not allowed online without permission.
Tags: Internet Speed, Social Networking