MySpace sued over sexual abuse cases
January 18, 2007
Associated press
NEW YORK — Four families have sued News Corp. and its MySpace social-networking site after their underage daughters were sexually abused by adults they met on the site, lawyers for the families said Thursday.
The law firms, Barry & Loewy LLP of Austin, Texas, and Arnold & Itkin LLP of Houston, said families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina filed separate suits Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging negligence, recklessness, fraud and negligent misrepresentation by the companies.
“In our view, MySpace waited entirely too long to attempt to institute meaningful security measures that effectively increase the safety of their underage users,” said Jason A. Itkin, an Arnold & Itkin lawyer.
The families are seeking monetary damages “in the millions of dollars,” Itkin said.
“Hopefully these lawsuits can spur MySpace into action and prevent this from happening to another child somewhere,” he said.
MySpace, based in Los Angeles, did not immediately return calls for comment.
Critics including parents, school officials and police have been increasingly warning of online predators at sites like MySpace, where youth-oriented visitors are encouraged to expand their circles of friends using free messaging tools and personal profile pages.
MySpace has responded with added educational efforts and partnerships with law enforcement. The company has also placed restrictions on how adults may contact younger users on MySpace, while developing technologies such as one announced Wednesday to let parents see some aspects of their child’s online profile, including the stated age. That tool is expected this summer.
The lawyers who filed the latest lawsuits said the plaintiffs include a 15-year-old girl from Texas who was lured to a meeting, drugged and assaulted in 2006 by an adult MySpace user, who is currently serving a 10-year sentence in Texas after pleading guilty to sexual assault.
The others are a 15-year-old girl from Pennsylvania, a 14-year-old from upstate New York and two South Carolina sisters, ages 14 and 15.
Last June, the mother of a 14-year-old who says she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old user sued MySpace and News Corp., seeking $30 million in damages. That lawsuit, pending in a Texas state court, claims the 19-year-old lied about being a senior in high school to gain her trust and phone number.
News Corp. shares hit a new 52-week high of $24.07 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange before slipping back to $23.98, up 28 cents.
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I watch dateline, so I am fully aware of the "internet predator" problem out there. Apparently these unintelligent, primitive, horney old farts can't control themselves from abusing young girls. It's wrong, sure, but what about the responsibility of the god forsaken parents?! Where the heck are the parents? Why aren't they restricting their daughter's usage? Why aren't they teaching her not to meet people online, or at least screening her friends? This isn't myspace's fault, you can trick the system, this is the parent's fault. And if the parents did all they could to prevent it, but their child was rebellious, then it's the child's fault AND the parent's for the inability to get through to the kid. If my kid was kidnapped in the mall, I would be trying to find the person who took them and beat the life from them, but I sure as heck wouldn't sue the mall. That would be MY fault. God, stuff like this makes me so mad because it seems like everyone is blind to where responsibility should be in matters like this. It's not like myspace was ENCOURAGING this, shit happens, make sure you know what the heck your kids are doing.
MySpace sued over sexual abuse cases
by Morocco 5 Replies latest jw friends
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Morocco
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purplesofa
I would like to sue Wal-Mart for their merchandising.........as I always go in there and buy things I really do not need and it has caused me, my bank account and my loved ones, distress.
I agree with your comments Morocco
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Morocco
can i sue god?
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purplesofa
can i sue god?
exactly
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Bstndance
There's no such thing as personal responsibility anymore.
This case has no merit. There is no evidence that myspace or newscorp encourages, promotes, or even condones the type of actions that happened. The kids should sue their parents for poor parenting. -
Morocco
hear hear