Mother, Daughter Sue MySpace for Big Bucks

The Statesman just reported that a teenage girl in Travis County, who was allegedly sexually assaulted last month by nineteen-year old Pete Solis, has filed suit against MySpace for $30 million:

The lawsuit claims the Web site does not require users to verify their age and calls the security measures aimed at preventing strangers from contacting users younger than 16 "utterly ineffective."
Solis contacted the girl through her MySpace Web site in April, telling her that he was a high school senior who played on the football team, according to the lawsuit. She told him she was a freshman in high school and gave him her cell phone number, the lawsuit said.

In May, he picked her up at school, took her out to eat and to a movie and then drove her to an apartment complex parking lot in South Austin where he sexually assaulted her, police have said. He was arrested May 19.

A 14-year-old Travis County girl who said she was sexually assaulted by a Buda man she met on MySpace.com sued the popular Internet social networking site Monday for $30 million, claiming it fails to protect minors from adult sexual predators.

The kid's attorney, Adam Loewy, is quoted by the Statesman as claiming MySpace to be "more concerned about making money than protecting children online." Furthermore, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott evidently wrote to MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe on May 22, suggesting that the community site implement some form of age-verification system.

* Photo by theory_one on stock.xchng

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By Allen Y Chen in News on June 19, 2006 3:57 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Joe

Absolutely ridiculous! Their parents are to blame. Can myspace counter sue for "child" negligence?

Steve

Computers are the world's new babysitter. Take the kid away from her stupid ass mom, and cut out all these bullshit lawsuits.

ladylivewire

According to KLBJ, Solis (the guy involved) has also filed suit against MySpace. It's really sad, because I think these suits take attention away from the serious issue here.

David

"more concerned about making money than protecting children online."

This quote is coming from the lawyer...Hello! Who allows their 14 year old to get picked up by anyone and taken on a date without first meeting this person? Who at 14 gets picked up for a date? You want a date with my daughter at 14 you will be sitting on my couch watching a movie or something with me in attendance. I will even make popcorn for you.

Be a parent and quit trying to put your responsibilities on someone else!

Scott W. Black

...claiming MySpace to be "more concerned about making money than protecting children online."

Uh, duh. MySpace is owned by Rupert Murdoch. 'nuff said.

icedoutballa

at least he wined and dined her. plus, she didnt have to take the bus. i hated the bloody school bus. i should sue myspace for NOT getting me laid...yet?

icedoutballa

at least he wined and dined her. plus, she didnt have to take the bus. i hated the bloody school bus. i should sue myspace for NOT getting me laid...yet?

icedoutballa

at least he wined and dined her. plus, she didnt have to take the bus. i hated the bloody school bus. i should sue myspace for NOT getting me laid...yet?

icedoutballa

at least he wined and dined her. plus, she didnt have to take the bus. i hated the bloody school bus. i should sue myspace for NOT getting me laid...yet?

mary

Heh. He told her he was a senior in high school when we was really nineteen. If your daughter is willing to meet up with boys from the internet whom she believes are four years older than her, you have far larger problems than an internet networking site.

anon

Hmmmm, maybe parenting or lack thereof) should be to blame. How about MySpace becomes 18 and older only. How about people get some self esteem and stop posting those damn pages with pictures of all their friends and screaming "look at me, look at me".

While I feel bad for what happened, this is in no way the fault of MySpace and surely is not worth $30M dollars.

On a personal note - I've been losing money gambling lately. While my loses only account for about $3K, I'm suing the online casino for $100M, that will only start to cover the suffering I have endured though. sw.

anon

Here's an idea; make it 18 and over only for MySpace users. This is just absurd - I feel bad for the girl and the tragic event, but maybe parenting (or lack thereof) should be to blame or personal responsibility.

Brenner

Kenneth speaks the truth so all I have to do is concur! Huzzah!

kenneth

So MySpace is to blame because this girl voluntarily went on a date with a creep she met online? What if they met at the mall instead? She might as well sue the maker of the car he drove or the owner of the parking lot where she was allegedly assaulted. (rolleyes)