Slappie 9 #1 January 18, 2007 Texas family sues MySpace in sexual abuse case Quote 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 today. 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. 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 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, filed 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. I don't agree with the suit, I believe the parents need to take responsibility for their child's actions. I don't like what happened to her. She didn't ask for that to happen. But still, they shouldn't be suing MySpace. They should sue the perp who did those things to your daughter. "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #2 January 18, 2007 Quote I don't agree with the suit, I believe the parents need to take responsibility for their child's actions. I don't like what happened to her. She didn't ask for that to happen. But still, they shouldn't be suing MySpace. They should sue the perp who did those things to your daughter. The fact the these parents think MySpace is more responsible for what happens to their own children than they are really says alot about them. Personally, I find the lack of personal responsibility and these types of cases sickening. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #3 January 18, 2007 QuoteQuote: "Four families have sued News Corp. and its MySpace social-networking site... families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina filed separate suits..." So why did you single out Texas in your subject title? Is the origin of one family more important than all the others? Is the origin of the law firm relevant to the issue at hand? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slappie 9 #4 January 18, 2007 QuoteQuoteQuote: "families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina filed separate suits..." So why did you single out Texas in your subject title? Is the state of Texas somehow relevant in these lawsuits? John I'm not going to even respond to show you just how moronic that post was. Please go back and READ the story and your post a bit more carefully. "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #5 January 18, 2007 QuoteJohn I'm not going to even respond to show you just how moronic that post was. Please go back and READ the story and your post a bit more carefully. Quote: "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 New York and two South Carolina sisters, ages 14 and 15." So please explain to this "moron" why you singled out Texas for honorable mention in your thread title? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shermanator 3 #6 January 18, 2007 I always find it sad when parents expect the outside world to do the parenting for them.CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08 CSA #720 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindercles 0 #7 January 18, 2007 It sort of makes this comment from Demetri Martin a little more poignant: "On the downside, it’s loaded with sexual predators. On the plus side, it’s also loaded with sexual prey." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buried 0 #8 January 18, 2007 QuoteI believe the parents need to take responsibility for their child's actions. not in america! its funny back in the 40''s, 50's and parts of the 60's other parents or adults were allowed to "parent" any child for the most part. Now, people complain that no one besides the parents should parent their childrent, yet they wont even parent their children! Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #9 January 18, 2007 QuoteI always find it sad when parents expect the outside world to do the parenting for them. I half agree with this statement. I think better and more stringent rules for identity must be applied to the service. Deeper background checks MUST be initiated, or the Furor might get angry.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TMPattersonJr 0 #10 January 18, 2007 Uhm John, Click the link and look at the headline on the News story refrenced. Yes it mentions the other states but Slappie was not the one who wrote the story.......Blue SkiesBlack DeathFacebook www.PLabsInc.com www.SkydiveDeLand.com www.FlyteSkool.ws Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyD 0 #11 January 18, 2007 Quote So please explain to this "moron" why you singled out Texas for honorable mention in your thread title? Da Da Daaaaaa........... Its Captaaaaaain OOOOOOOObvious!!!!!!!!!! To the rescue! psst. click on the link Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mamajumps 0 #12 January 18, 2007 QuoteQuoteI believe the parents need to take responsibility for their child's actions. not in america! its funny back in the 40''s, 50's and parts of the 60's other parents or adults were allowed to "parent" any child for the most part. Now, people complain that no one besides the parents should parent their childrent, yet they wont even parent their children! And if you do try to effectively parent your kids with any kind of discipline that is more than " now little johnny you shouldn't do that" your looked at for child abuse...... yes it is that bad. My kids all use the internet, they range in ages from 11 to 4. HOWEVER, we use net nanny and the enviroment they use is password protected, so that cant just get on at free will and when they do, it is for only 30 minutes at a time.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #13 January 18, 2007 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4479835.html Cut and paste.... QuoteFront page Jan. 18, 2007, 12:51PM Texas family sues MySpace in sexual abuse case By JESSICA MINTZ Associated Press TOOLS Email Get section feed Print Subscribe NOW NEW YORK — Four families have sued News Corp. and its MySpace social-networking site after their underage daughters were sexually ....... Besides we all know Texans are a bunch of nutters.....we still like 'em though.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #14 January 18, 2007 Quote Besides we all know Texans are a bunch of nutters.....we still like 'em though. What are you trying to say? Huh? Like, we stalk peole and stuff? Huh? Is that what Nutters Means? Huh? Is that what you meant? And what do you mean by "Like" huh? What is that supposed to mean? Like, Like? or like, just LIKE ? What are you trying to type us as, huh? Nutters? I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyD 0 #15 January 18, 2007 QuoteQuoteI always find it sad when parents expect the outside world to do the parenting for them. I half agree with this statement. I think better and more stringent rules for identity must be applied to the service. Deeper background checks MUST be initiated, or the Furor might get angry. That would make Myspace cost prohibitive (membership fees). It will simply go away and be replaced by something else. Rinse. Repeat. Can't stuff that cow back in the barn. Parents are actually going to have to *gasp* pay attention to what their kids are doing online. I think this may be the true unspoken generational gap right now. Tough for a completely non computer literate parent to stay on top of this. By the time they have this figured out, something else will have already replaced it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #16 January 18, 2007 QuoteQuoteQuoteI always find it sad when parents expect the outside world to do the parenting for them. I half agree with this statement. I think better and more stringent rules for identity must be applied to the service. Deeper background checks MUST be initiated, or the Furor might get angry. That would make Myspace cost prohibitive (membership fees). It will simply go away and be replaced by something else. Rinse. Repeat. Can't stuff that cow back in the barn. Parents are actually going to have to *gasp* pay attention to what their kids are doing online. I think this may be the true unspoken generational gap right now. Tough for a completely non computer literate parent to stay on top of this. By the time they have this figured out, something else will have already replaced it. Sieg! I know - that is the part that I agree with . . . however, and I know it is unreasonable, but, why can't we go back to the family values of the 60's and 50's? What was so wrong that we had to evolve into a csociety that condones and accepts the "Rinse and Repeat" as you put it?I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #17 January 18, 2007 QuoteI don't agree with the suit, I believe the parents need to take responsibility for their child's actions. I don't like what happened to her. She didn't ask for that to happen. But still, they shouldn't be suing MySpace. They should sue the perp who did those things to your daughter. To a point, the kids DID ask for these things to happen... they weren't kidnapped... they voluntarily met the abusers. That doesn't make the abusers' actions right, but some responsibility has to be put on the parents for not educating their children regarding responsible 'net use, for not paying attention to where there children are going and who they are meeting.... realistically, the first step in the chain was the kids making the poor decision to meet these guys to begin with. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyD 0 #18 January 18, 2007 Quote. . . however, and I know it is unreasonable, but, why can't we go back to the family values of the 60's and 50's? What was so wrong that we had to evolve into a csociety that condones and accepts the "Rinse and Repeat" as you put it? I don't think values have really changed all that much and where they have, I think they've changed for the better. I think circumstances have changed dramatically and they will never go back to the "less concerning" times of the 50's and 60's. In the 50's, I doubt the average parent was very concerned about their children getting hit by a car outside their house. There were a lot fewer cars then and they moved a lot slower. I think the basic desires of humanity are unchanged, but the circumstances they exist in are very different than 60 years ago and 60 years from now they will again be very different. The rinse and repeat comment was just an illustration that a single entity like a Myspace or a Youtube could be reigned in, but it will undoubtedly be replaced by something (or many somethings) very similar immediately because we want it that way. Much like that devil's music - the rock and roll - in the 50's. As they said then: Hey hey rock and roll is here to stay. The same is true today and will be true in the future. We'll just have a different name for the latest and greatest thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #19 January 18, 2007 Quoterealistically, the first step in the chain was the kids Parents making the poor decision of allowing their kids be put in a situation that the kids were able to meet these guys to begin with.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #20 January 18, 2007 Quote I don't think values have really changed all that much and where they have, I think they've changed for the better. I think they have . . . evidenced in just the way that children treat their parents today . . . and then take for instance kids killing kids at school . . . I think that would qualify as a MAJOR change.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slappie 9 #21 January 18, 2007 As far as I know (which isn't very far, admittedly), internet law as it now stands says that sites aren't responsible for the postings or actions of their users except in very limited circumstances. It's possible this lawsuit is being done for the sole purpose of getting media attention on the problem, so that more parents will take the time to figure out what their kids are doing. Or, if you're cynical, (which I am) they're just hoping myspace does a quick settlement. I'm guessing myspace will fight it, though, settlement would set an expensive precedent. "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #22 January 18, 2007 QuoteAs far as I know (which isn't very far, admittedly), internet law as it now stands says that sites aren't responsible for the postings or actions of their users except in very limited circumstances. It's possible this lawsuit is being done for the sole purpose of getting media attention on the problem, so that more parents will take the time to figure out what their kids are doing. Or, if you're cynical, (which I am) they're just hoping myspace does a quick settlement. I'm guessing myspace will fight it, though, settlement would set an expensive precedent. I beleive it to be both . . . one deciding factor - The dollar - taking more precedence. I know - I am cynical too - but I deal with people and their money every day - I know how much effect it has on the decisions made . . .I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyD 0 #23 January 18, 2007 QuoteQuote I don't think values have really changed all that much and where they have, I think they've changed for the better. I think they have . . . evidenced in just the way that children treat their parents today . . . and then take for instance kids killing kids at school . . . I think that would qualify as a MAJOR change. Great example. Somehow, it has become a social norm to abandon the "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you" speech that proceded a proper parent to child ass whipping and replace that with non-physical/confrontational methods of disciplining. The parents desire to be a good parent and "raise their kids right" hasn't changed. The environment (societal norms) in which they apply those desires has changed dramatically. Behavior that was once the benchmark of solid parenting could now land you in front of CPS. Who knows what will be the norm 60 years from now, but a parents desire to love and protect their children will still be pretty much the same. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zipp0 1 #24 January 18, 2007 QuoteIt sort of makes this comment from Demetri Martin a little more poignant: "On the downside, it’s loaded with sexual predators. On the plus side, it’s also loaded with sexual prey." That is freaking funny as hell. -------------------------- Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #25 January 18, 2007 Quote The parents desire to be a good parent and "raise their kids right" hasn't changed. The environment (societal norms) in which they apply those desires has changed dramatically. Behavior that was once the benchmark of solid parenting could now land you in front of CPS. Who knows what will be the norm 60 years from now, but a parents desire to love and protect their children will still be pretty much the same. Human Nature, well for those that aren't ill of brain, should dictate just that. I'm not disagreeing with the Parents Wishes and Wants, I am bitching that societal norms are what they are and I am also bitching that I wish they were, with some exceptions, the same as they were years ago, before we had such an aboandoning of the value of educating a child in basic right and wrong as humanity is involved, and before we adopted the "No Matter WHAT you do, it will be OK".I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
