Jan 8, 2008 5:20 pm US/Pacific
Missouri Proposes Web Harassment Law
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) ―
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Generic graphic of teens using laptops.
AP
Adults who use the Internet to harass children could be charged with a
felony if Missouri lawmakers agree with a proposal made Tuesday by a
state panel formed after a taunted teenager's suicide.
Gov. Matt Blunt's task force on Internet harassment met for the
final time, putting the finishing touches on a plan that will be
submitted to the governor. Committee members did not say when a final
draft would be ready.
Blunt created the task force last month after news accounts about
the case of Megan Meier, a 13-year-old suburban St. Louis girl who
committed suicide after receiving cruel messages on her MySpace page.
The task force includes public safety and mental health professionals,
lawyers and legislators.
Harassment is already a misdemeanor in Missouri, but the proposal
identifies certain types of harassment that task force members believe
should result in stiffer penalties. It also includes other types of
media, not just the Internet.
"Initially, we started down a path of creating a crime of
cyberharassment. Instead, we decided to broaden the harassment law to
include any communication. That picks up technology now and picks up
technology in the future," said task force chairman Mark James.
Panelists identified factors that would make certain harassment
cases a felony, such as if anyone 21 or older harasses people 17 and
younger. Those convicted could be sentenced to as many as four years in
prison and a $5,000 fine.
Task force members also proposed a requirement that schools report
stalking or harassment - including cyberharassment - to law enforcers
if it happens on school property or during a school activity.
The law would not hold responsible businesses that provide Internet
service or social networking Web sites like MySpace, said James, who
leads the state Department of Public Safety.
Megan's suicide occurred in October 2006 but drew attention last
year after her mother went public. The teen thought she was
communicating online with a teenage boy named Josh, who turned out to
be a fictional character in a hoax. A neighborhood mother, Lori Drew,
and two girls played a role in the hoax.
Prosecutors declined to charge anyone, in part because no specific
laws appeared to apply. But some communities, including Megan's
hometown of Dardenne Prairie, have adopted or are considering adopting
laws to go after those involved in Internet bullying.
Drew's attorney, Jim Briscoe, has said the girls designed the
fictional boy's account and sent the messages to Megan. Drew wasn't
aware of the hurtful messages sent just prior to Megan's suicide, he
has said. Other Internet users also joined in with cruel taunts before
her death.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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