Girl sues MySpace for getting her assaulted

[klang]

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32510

Sue the medium

By INQUIRER newsdesk: mandag 19 juni 2006, 23:20
A 14 YEAR-OLD girl who claimed she was sexually assaulted by a man she met on MySpace.com has launched a $30 million lawsuit against its operators.

The lawsuit is critical of the fact Myspace does not verify the age of its users and calls measures in place to stop grizly old geezers grooming sweet young things as "utterly ineffective." The suit alleges Myspace fails in its duty to protect minors.

A lawyer representing the girl's family told reporters, "MySpace is more concerned about making money than protecting children online."

The girl and her family filed the suit against Myspace owner News Corp as well as the 19 year-old accused of fiddling with her.

The girl gave out her mobile phone number to the bloke after she met him on the site. She says that after the pair went out one time to see a film and have a bite to eat, he drove her to a car park and sexually assaulted her.

And that's Myspace's fault.

-----

..I guess I gotta get some half-nude pics on mySpace so I can get assaulted..

[Noahfingway]

F@#$%ing 14 year olds....someone should pass a law.

And what parent lets their 14 year old....

and the 19year old grizly geezer? sheesh


Maybe they should put teenagers in a cocoon when they hit 13 and let them out at 21 after their brains develop. That goes for the grizly ol 19 year old too

[Annie]

Know who else didn't care about protecting the girl?

Her parents.

Funny how they can take the time and effort to file a 30million dollar lawsuit, but not to find out what their kid is doing and where she met the guy she's going out with.

No one deserves to be assaulted and this is sad - but how is this the fault of MySpace. 14 and 19? Although a slight age-difference, these two could have met each other at school or a popular hangout spot. Also, although MySpace should do a better job of cracking down on what minors put on their pages (i.e. sex quizzes and scandelous pictures), in the end, MySpace is a business and not a parent.

It's like Max said on yesterday's show. "I'm not a babysitter; I'm here to entertain."
Max would obviously stop one of his limo kids from running out in front of a bus, but he wasn't there to be a child-care provider.
Neither is MySpace. MySpace is a product for use. Like cigarettes and alcohol. Could parents sue Bicardi because their kid got into a liquor cabinet, drank it, and got sick (or killed)? No, they sue the people. And the people largely at fault in this situation are the bastard who did it (who should have criminal charges pressed, not be sued) and her parents.

Did they find out where she met the guy? How old he was? That he was basically a stranger? If not, shame on them. If so, then they signed off and certainly can't blame MySpace.

[benjita]

They'll never get the verdict.

Just because you CAN sue someone, doesn't mean you should.

[Step-brother fucker]

thats why i don't have a myspace

[william]

Originally Posted by Annie

Know who else didn't care about protecting the girl?

Her parents.

Funny how they can take the time and effort to file a 30million dollar lawsuit, but not to find out what their kid is doing and where she met the guy she's going out with.

Agreed. Myspace isnt in the the business of protecting children online" as nor are AOL IM, GoogleTalk, the teens email provider, or even a telephone provider. Myspace is a contact enabler.

A judge should throw that lawsuit out and lawyers who concoct and support these kinds of lawsuits should be penalized.

[Blitzgal]

Originally Posted by Annie

No one deserves to be assaulted and this is sad - but how is this the fault of MySpace.

Exactly right! So this girl lied about her age on Myspace but it's the website's fault that they didn't verify she was underage before allowing her on the website? Is that the gist of the lawsuit? There's no way they are going to get millions of dollars for this. And you're right, this can happen just by meeting someone in person and agreeing to go out with them.

[ryanknapper]

I got a plastic fork from McDonalds the other day. Nowhere upon it does it have "Do not stab yourself in the thigh with this fork." I wonder...

[klang]

Originally Posted by spaceboy

It's threads like this that make me pray to God that Darwin was right.

Let's remove the warning stickers from everything and see ..

A new simple law should be passed: "You can only sue if you are this bright" (holding up hand a meter off the ground)

[cognitiveg]

Can they sue HER for being stupid?