Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the majority opinion for the Supreme Court in which they upheld the law aimed at preventing child pornography. Scalia called internet child porn a “threat.” He’s right. As a frequent speaker on teen ethics and computer crimes, it is clear that the internet is becoming a distribution haven for child porn and more importantly it is a playground for child predators.

A federal law, the “Protect” Act enacted in 2003 made it a crime not only to produce and possess child porn, but also to “pander” material, conveying the belief that material contains minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The pandering provision covers anyone who “advertises, promotes, presents, distributes, or solicits” this material.

According to CNN in a recent report: As part of a 2004 sting operation, an undercover Secret Service agent (using the screen name “Lisa–n–Miami”) communicated with Williams in an Internet chat room. Williams allegedly wrote, “Dad of toddler has ‘good’ pics of her an (sic) me for swap of your toddler pics, or live cam.” He posted nonpornographic photos of a young girl and claimed he had “hc,” or hard-core, kiddie pictures, prosecutors contend.

The man then allegedly posted photos of youngsters involved in “sexually explicit conduct,” according to court records. Twenty-two other child porn images were found on his home computer.

A federal appeals court upheld a possession conviction against Williams, but threw out the separate soliciting charge, which carried a five-year mandatory minimum sentence. A three-judge panel concluded the provision was “substantially overbroad and vague,” and that “non-commercial, non-inciteful promotion of illegal child pornography, even if repugnant, is protected free speech.” In other words, the judges said merely talking about child porn is not necessarily criminal.

Today’s ruling by the high Court upheld the law by ruling that a provision dealing with “pandering” illicit material does not violate constitutional protections on free speech. The ruling was 7 to 2.

Scalia stated, “Child pornography harms and debases the most defenseless of our citizens. This court held unconstitutional Congress’ previous attempt to meet this new threat, and Congress responded with a carefully crafted attempt to eliminate the First Amendment problems we [earlier] identified.”

There has been some concern that some people might be targeted unfairly when engaged in lawful, artistic or editorial free speech. Example were used among them were mainstream movies such as “Lolita,” “Traffic,” and “Titanic,” all of which depicted scenarios in which underage girls were engaging in simulated sex.

According to the AP - Justice David Souter, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, dissented. Souter said promotion of images that are not real children engaging in pornography still could be the basis for prosecution under the law. Possession of those images, on the other hand, may not be prosecuted, Souter said.

“I believe that maintaining the First Amendment protection of expression we have previously held to cover fake child pornography requires a limit to the law’s criminalization of pandering proposals,” Souter said.

The reality is child porn is too easy to get and in so many ways our children aren’t protected. Odd, but the profile of a person convicted of child porn is - ANYONE. Most recently a Plano, Texas minister who was arrested in an internet sex sting operation has resigned his position as a pastor at a Dallas-area megachurch. Joe Barron was charged with solicitation of a minor. The solicitation was via the internet.

As a white collar crime speaker, unlike traditional forms of white collar crime, convictions related to Child Porn seem to carry far greater sentences and long term consequences. One of the most significant things that parents can do is become educated. Child porn is more accessible via the internet and that - THE INTERNET - is where parents need education. Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and others are not dangerous on the whole, but Child Predators can use those mediums as a way to deceive and commit their crimes. I teach seminars and workshops on cyber-crime and what every parent should know to protect their children.

If you or your organization is interested in my newest program - PROTECTING OUR KIDS: What Every Parent Should Know About Computer Crimes - contact me at chuck@chuckgallagher.com.

As a business ethics speaker, it is interesting to observe how many people believe that theft from their company is somehow O.K.! What’s even more interesting is the fact that, in most cases, they don’t think they’ll be caught.

It takes three things to create a fraud: (1) need; (2) opportunity and (3) rationalization. Seems that Ovid Timothy Hughes fell into the trap of theft for which there is always a consequence.

Ovid Timothy Hughes of Madison, Tennessee was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison for committing mail fraud. (By the way, wire and mail fraud seem to be the issues that the government uses today to gain an easy conviction)

Hughes previously worked for a well-known computer company. Shortly after the company terminated his employment, Defendant came to possess certain account and credit-card information of the company’s customers. From November 2006 to September 2007, Defendant fraudulently used that account and credit-card information to purchase thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment and other items for his personal benefit. Defendant committed his crime by posing, over the internet and in e-mails, as a representative of the companies whose account information he obtained. He would then order merchandise and have it shipped to his apartment, but have the bill for that merchandise sent to the company’s real address with the intent that the company would pay the charges without realizing the fraud.

Hughes scheme was extensive: During an 11-month period, Defendant used at least nine different account or credit-card numbers, to place over 70 different orders, with approximately ten different merchants. In addition to computers, Defendant also ordered various types of high-end electronic equipment and designer clothing. To conceal his fraud, he assumed several different false identities, created e-mail accounts in the names of those false identities, and made up several fictional scenarios to make his orders appear legitimate when he communicated with merchants’ sales representatives. Ultimately, Defendant caused or attempted to cause over $78,000 in loss, an amount later offset by the approximately $25,000 worth of computer equipment that U.S. Secret Service agents were able to recover at Defendant’s apartment at the time of his arrest.

Judge Trauger found the length and extent of Defendant’s fraudulent conduct to merit a 12-month prison sentence. Defendant was also ordered to pay over $29,000 in restitution to the victims for the merchandise not recovered and to remain on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. As noted by the Court, Defendant’s conduct occurred over nearly a year’s time, involved several very intentional steps on his part, and compromised “inside” information of his former employer. Accordingly, the Court determined that a significant prison sentence was necessary to reflect the seriousness of the offense.

“So-called ‘white-collar’ crimes are just that – crimes. And the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively prosecuting such crimes whenever and wherever they occur in the Middle District of Tennessee,” said U.S. Attorney Edward Yarbrough. “This case is yet another example of how criminals use the anonymity of the internet and e-mail, along with false identities and deception, to commit frauds. But it also demonstrates the hard work and skill of the federal agents who combat those frauds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to fully support the law-enforcement agents and agencies who help protect innocent fraud victims and bring those who target them to justice.”

Every choice has a consequence. While Hughes will find that the cost of the choices he made is far greater than the short term benefit he received, the “un-named computer company” will likely change their internal controls so that it will be more difficult to gain sensitive information.

White collar and business ethics speaker, Chuck Gallagher, signing off…

And while I’m on the subject of Social Security Fraud (that was what my last post was about) - thought some might like this strange story of choices and consequences.

United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced that Rolf Groer, age 48, a resident of Allegheny County, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to 5 years probation, including 12 months of community confinement, and ordered to pay approximately $22,000 in restitution as well as a $5,000 fine on his conviction of theft of government property and theft from an employee pension benefit plan.

According to information presented to the court Groer, between January of 2004 and September of 2006, embezzled approximately $27,904.00 in Social Security benefits, and approximately $14,699.19 in pension benefits paid by The Boeing Company. The Social Security and pension benefits were issued in the name of a person who had died in December of 2003.

As a business ethics and white collar crime speaker, I am a bit amazed that Groer got off with what seems to be a light sentence. But make no mistake, community confinement and 5 years probation is not insignificant. Groer’s life will change and any benefit he may think he got will be erased as he is now a convicted felon - which carries with it consequences.

As I say in most of my presentations, every choice has a consequence!

Business Ethics and White Collar Crime speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

So you think you can pull the wool over the eyes of the government? Not so fast. Every choice has a consequence and one of the things that some of us learn the hard way is - what you do in the dark will be brought to the light. In other words, if you do something that is wrong it will be discovered.

You reap what you sow! I know. I sowed bad seeds and reaped the consequences. And now it seems that the same may be true for a young 27 year old.

Shawn R. Johnson, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Social Security Fraud.

The one-count indictment named Shawn R. Johnson, age 27.

According to the indictment, Johnson failed to disclose to the Social Security Administration employment with and earned income from Polito Custom Carpet, located in Hopwood, Pennsylvania, and that such events affected his continued right to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits.

COMMENT: Now I can assure my readers that the minor benefit that Johnson received is not worth the cost he will pay. Facing up to 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, Johnson will soon understand that cost of wrong choices is substantial.

Every choice has a consequence is a comment I make in most presentations. As a white collar crime speaker, I speak from first hand experience about the truth about consequences. Reality is - no one escapes the consequences of their choices. While Johnson may have enjoyed the money for a time and avoided the consequences - they did not avoid the consequences all together. Prison is no fun and Johnson is facing several years plus substantial restitution for this conviction. Likely he will serve time and that will prove to be a dramatic change from his prior activities. You do reap what you sow.

White Collar Crime Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

Several programs are underway to catch those who victimize children via child porn. In this case, Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers was the vehicle to catch a pediatrician who engaged in child porn.

Operation Predator is a comprehensive initiative designed to protect young people from child pornographers, alien smugglers, human traffickers, and other predatory criminals.

Robert Reinhold, age 55, and a pediatrician in Troy, Ohio pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

According to a statement of facts filed with his plea and agreed to by Reinhold, between April 22, 2003 and October 24, 2007, Reinhold knowingly received and possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, those depictions having been mailed and transported in interstate and foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.

Reinhold admitted that he received and possessed the child pornography at his house, by purchasing multiple subscriptions to commercial child pornography websites which offered members-only access to images of child pornography. He saved more than 600 images and movies on his home computer and on an external hard drive connected to it. Reinhold printed out hundreds of the images which he kept and stored at his home. Among the child pornography found were images of prepubescent minors and minors under the
age of 12. As part of his plea agreement, Reinhold agreed to forfeit to the United States his computer equipment and storage media, as well as his interest in his house.

The Dayton Daily News reported: TROY — Catherine Peoples, 34, of Troy is a mother of four with a fifth child on the way who has taken her children to pediatrician Robert Reinhold for seven years.

She said that in light of the doctor’s arrest Wednesday on charges of possessing child pornography, she’ll be taking her children to another pediatrician.

Peoples said she learned of the arrest while reading news stories on the Web.

“He gave good care to children,” she said. “I’ve always been in the room with my kids” when they visited, she noted. “The thought is really upsetting. It’s really a shock. I would not have suspected this.”

COMMENT: Whether Operation Predator or Project Safe Childhood - the government’s efforts to crack down on Child Porn is paying off. Multiple arrests are being made across the nation with substantial indictments and long prison terms that follow. Every choice has a consequence. In the case of Child Porn - it is likely that one will be caught one way or the other and the consequences are substantial.

Federal law mandates forfeiture of both personal and real property used or intended to be used to commit or
promote the commission of certain child exploitation offenses, including receipt or possession of child pornography. Reinhold agreed to pay to the United States more than $130,000, which was the value of his interest in the house.

Receipt of child pornography is punishable by at least five and up to 20 years imprisonment, five years up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

“Investigators have determined that these are images of real children,” Lockhart said, “but at this time, none of the victims appear to be patients of his.”

COMMENT: As a white collar crime speaker, unlike traditional forms of white collar crime, convictions related to Child Porn carry far greater sentences and long term consequences. One of the most significant things that parents can do is become educated. Child porn is more accessible via the internet and that - THE INTERNET - is where parents need education. Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and others are not dangerous on the whole, but Child Predators can use those mediums as a way to deceive and commit their crimes. I teach seminars and workshops on cyber-crime and what every parent should know to protect their children.

Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 11,000 individuals, including more than 110 in Ohio.

“It a tragedy when those who are supposed to protect children choose to sexually exploit them instead,” said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Ohio and Michigan. “Fortunately, the combined aggressive efforts of ICE and the U.S. Attorney’s office helped prevent Mr. Reinhold from further exploiting the child victims by illegally using and sharing their images.”

Robert V. Reinhold, 55, will be sentenced Aug. 1 by U.S. District Judge Thomas Rose. Under the plea agreement reached, should Rose accept it, Reinhold will be sentenced to a five-year term. He could have faced a maximum 20 years in prison.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

If you or your organization is interested in my newest program - PROTECTING OUR KIDS: What Every Parent Should Know About Computer Crimes - contact me at chuck@chuckgallagher.com

EVERY CHOICE HAS A CONSEQUENCE. You cannot hide - no matter how hard you try - those choices and actions you take that are wrong - morally, ethically or legally.

So imagine, you have an inclination toward Child Porn. You down load it from your computer. You leave your ipod in your car or at a friend’s house (forgetting you’ve got child porn on it). Next thing you know the police are at your door. You’re arrested. Your friend - repulsed by child porn - turns you in. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

William Don Woods, age 31, of Claremore, was sentenced to prison in federal court in Tulsa on April 29 for having images of child pornography on his iPod.

An indictment was issued and revealed the details of the pornography contained on the iPod, including approximately 10 pornographic photos depicting 5-, 6-, 8-, 12- and 13-year-old children involved in sexual acts. There was also more than one video file with at least one depicting a 10-year-old girl involved in sexual acts. - source The Claremore Daily Progress

Chief U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Woods to over seven years (87 months) imprisonment for the crime of Possession of Child Pornography. On August 25, 2007, an acquaintance found Wood’s iPod and turned it over to Claremore police. It contained multiple pictures and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit acts with adults and with other children. The material had been obtained from peer-to-peer file sharing sites on the Internet. Woods was charged in a federal indictment in November 2007 and he pled
guilty on January 18.

The federal indictment in this case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative and the continuing effort to target individuals who possess and/or distribute child pornography. The Department launched Project Safe Childhood in February 2006 as a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and helps identify and assist the victims of these atrocious
crimes.

COMMENT: Project Safe Childhood is producing significant dividends. Many have been convicted for child porn. What makes it easy to obtain child porn also makes it easy to catch. Recently in News Busters the following was reported:

Famed left-wing radio personality Bernie Ward of San Francisco, a former priest who had one of the loudest and most consistently anti-George W. Bush voices in the entire nation, was found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography on Friday and will serve at least five years in prison. ward tried to argue that he was “doing research” on child pornography, but as the San Francisco Chronicle reported:

His hopes of maintaining a defense based on a constitutional right to research taboo subjects appeared to be weakened further when police in Oakdale (Stanislaus County) released transcripts in February of a series of online sex chats between Ward and a dominatrix in December 2004 and January 2005. The transcripts quote Ward as fantasizing about naked children with no apparent reference to any subject he was researching. Police said he had sent photos to the woman that showed children engaged in sexual activity.

White Collar Crime Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

As a mortgage fraud speaker, I observe what’s taking place in the mortgage fraud arena, but I have to say, the legal eagles in Ohio are working the mortgage fraud angles hard…

Two more Columbus-area people indicted as part of a mortgage fraud scheme that secured more than $7 million in mortgage loans pleaded guilty in United States District Court. Aryeh Schottenstein, age 34, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering, and Shawn A. Griffin, age 38, also of Columbus, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Schottenstein and Griffin were indicted along with Donald F. Green, Jeffrey Lieberman and George “Terry” Jordan for a mortgage fraud scheme in central Ohio in 2003 and 2004. COMMENT: It seems that at the height of easy money for mortgages - mortgage fraud was rising as well. See what these folks did below as their crime is becoming a common pattern.

According to statements of facts filed with Schottenstein’s and Griffin’s pleas, Schottenstein and Lieberman owned a company called Parkview Bank. One of Parkview’s business purposes was to locate financing for real estate investors seeking to buy and renovate houses in Columbus. Parkview needed a source for the financing for this venture. In 2003, Schottenstein and Lieberman met with the managing partners for Stillwater Asset Backed Fund to convince them to provide the funding. They were successful.

Parkview and Stillwater entered into an agreement whereby Stillwater would provide the funding for Parkview’s deals. Rather than abide by the agreement and locate legitimate investors, Schottenstein used Griffin to recruit straw-buyers to pose as real estate investors. Using straw-buyers was quicker and easier than locating legitimate real estate investors thereby making it easier to generate more loan origination fees. The straw-buyers were told by Griffin they did not need to renovate the houses or make monthly interest payments. Griffin assured them he would take care of all the details.

COMMENT: Two things stand out - (1) impatience with legitimate business became the foundation of the fraud; and (2) the “straw buyers” were motivated by quick money in order to participate in the scam.

Griffin also recruited straw buyers in 2002 and 2003 for Jeff Pearson, now deceased. Pearson bought dozens of low-income distressed houses in Columbus for amounts at or near their fair market value. The houses were in need of renovation. Very little if any renovation was done to the houses. The houses were sold to Griffin’s straw-buyers for two to three times the amounts Pearson had paid only a few weeks or months earlier. Despite having good credit, the straw-buyers usually had little income. At the closing on the straw-buyers’ purchases of the houses, the title companies issued large checks payable to Pearson as proceeds from the sales.

Green pleaded guilty on April 11. Lieberman and Jordan pleaded guilty on April 24. All are free pending sentencing. Judge Marbley will set a date for sentencing. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and the money laundering charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

According to the Columbus Dispatch a scheme that investigators say bilked millions from banks, lenders and investors was so involved that there were too many fraudulent home purchases to list in the 36-page federal indictment.

Those indicted originally were:

Donald F. Green, 48, of Columbus, real-estate investor

Shawn A. Griffin, 37, of Cleveland, real-estate investor

Aryeh M. Schottenstein, 33, of Oak Park, Mich., real-estate investor

Jeffrey M. Lieberman, 56, of Bexley, real-estate investor

George T. “Terry” Jordan, 50, of Canal Winchester, real-estate agent

Dwayne L. Carter, 37, of Columbus, loan officer

Jonathan L. Boyd, 38, of Columbus, loan officer

Kenyatta Johnson, 37, of Michigan, loan officer

James Darneil Gaither, 37, appraiser

Every choice has a consequence. As a white collar crime and mortgage fraud speaker, I speak from first hand experience about the truth about consequences. Reality is - no one escapes the consequences of their choices. While Schottenstein and Griffin may have enjoyed the money for a time and avoided the consequences - they did not avoid the consequences all together. Prison is no fun and both are facing several years plus substantial restitution for this conviction. Likely they will serve time and that will prove to be a dramatic change from their prior activities. You do reap what you sow.

If you were a victim…please share your experience so other may benefit.

Mortgage Fraud Speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

As time passes it has become clear that many people have come to the wrong conclusion that creativity in financing is somehow legal. It is not! Just today I heard a radio show where they still talked about creative financing through means that others have found themselves on the back end of a conviction. And in this entry we have another Ohio indictment for bank or mortgage fraud.

Darrius C. Alati, age 38, who resides in Akron, Ohio was indicted. The information alleges that Darrius C. Alati committed three counts of bank fraud.

According to the indictment, Alati was a property broker who fabricated a false corporate resolution which was presented to the subject title company to obtain checks drawn on Fifth Third Bank’s escrow account related to monies flowing from the sale of homes in Akron, Ohio. Alati had the title company divide the monies in to a few checks and Alati forwarded only one of the checks to the seller, James Carter. Carter was unaware that Alati withheld these checks arising from the transactions. In the last instance of the scheme, Alati advised representatives of the title company that he would deliver a $70,000 check drawn on the Fifth Third escrow account to Carter. However, Alati deposited said check into own business account for his personal use.

COMMENTS: From time to time I have been approached at presentations I make on mortgage fraud issues by people who got caught up in a scheme unaware. Those situations are unfortunate. However, in this case, it seems clear that the actions of Alati were thought out and not the result of a simple mistake. Frankly, rarely have I found that mortgage fraud was occurred as the result of a misunderstanding.

Alati, if convicted, will likely spend time in federal prison. More and more the courts are losing patience with the proliferation of mortgage fraud. As the banking system writes off record losses due to the weakness in the subprime market, the punishment for mortgage fraud crimes will likely become more severe (within the federal sentencing guidelines).

Every choice has a consequence. As a mortgage fraud speaker, I believe that we are just at the beginning of a wave of prosecutions for mortgage fraud.

And who says that every choice has no consequence? Bull! No matter what you do, the choices you make today will have a profound impact on you tomorrow and in the future.

A Lubbock man, Lyndell Simmons,age 46, who pled guilty in January to theft of government money or property, was sentenced to 60 months (five years) in prison and ordered to pay $21,529 restitution to the Department of Veterans Administration (VA).

According to documents filed in Court, Louise Simmons, Lyndell Simmons’ mother, was a beneficiary of VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Benefits. In March 2007, an investigation was initiated by the VA, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division, after a complaint alleged that Ms. Simmons had not returned a marital status questionnaire. An investigation revealed that Ms. Simmons died on November 10, 2004.

STOP…She died in 2004? Well, how in the world did a dead woman cash checks? That is the question that began Simmons undoing!

Further investigation revealed that from approximately December 1, 2004 to March 1, 2007, Lyndell Simmons cashed approximately 22 VA benefits checks made payable to his mother, forging endorsements on each check. He cashed the checks and used the money for his own personal use.

NOTICE: Often it is not the magnitude of the crime and causes the time. In this case it seems the judge considered in the sentence not only the amount stolen, but the form the crime took. Stealing from the government your dead mothers benefits is cold.

White Collar Crime speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

Two years after Megan Meier committed suicide Lori Drew, age 49, was indicted for her alleged role in Meier’s death.

In an earlier blog I wrote:

In 2006 a Missouri teenager hanged herself after being rejected by a 16 year old boy she met on MySpace. Well, at least that’s what she thought. The reality was the “16 year old boy” was really the mother of one of the girls former friends.

The motive? It seems the mother was allegedly trying to exact revenge on Meier, who had allegedly dissed her daughter. This sick, twisted and childish choice took and emotional toll on a young person who was emotionally vulnerable and cost her - her life!

The earlier blog is presented in full here.

According to a CNN report -

Drew faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

The indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accuses Drew and others of registering on MySpace as “Josh Evans” and using the account to lure Meier into an an online romance.

Authorities have previously said that Drew set up the account to find out what Meier, who lived in her neighborhood, was saying about her daughter.

Lori Drew of O’Fallon, Missouri, was named in a four-count indictment returned this morning by a federal grand jury. The indictment charges one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the girl who,
because of juvenile privacy rules, is referred to in the indictment only as M.T.M.

After approximately four weeks of flirtatious communications between “Josh Evans” and M.T.M., Drew and her co-conspirators broke off the relationship. Within an hour, M.T.M. had hanged herself in her room. She died the next day. “This adult woman allegedly used the Internet to target a young teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications,” said United States Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien. “After a thorough investigation, we have charged Ms. Drew with criminally accessing MySpace and violating rules established to protect young, vulnerable people. Any adult who uses the Internet or a social gathering website to bully or harass another person, particularly a young teenage girl, needs to realize that their actions can have serious consequences.”

MYSPACE RULES: It seems that to become a member of MySpace, individuals are required to submit registration information – including name and date of birth – and have to agree to certain TOS that regulate their use of the website. Among other things, the MySpace TOS require prospective members to provide truthful and accurate registration information; to refrain from using any information obtained from MySpace services to harass, abuse, or harm other people; to refrain from soliciting personal information from anyone under 18; to refrain from promoting information that they know is false or misleading; and to refrain from posting photographs of other people without their consent. The indictment alleges that Drew and her coconspirators violated all of those provisions.

The indictment, while not a conviction, alleges that the defendant - Drew - did commit a crime. Characterized as “cyber-bullying” the actions that have not been disputed show a pattern of abuse and a clear violation of the terms of MySpace.

Ron Meier, Megan’s father, watched television newscasts announcing the indictment and was overcome with emotion

“It’s a a good day,” he said. “It’s an awesome feeling.”

He said now he expects the Drews to feel some of the pain and suffering “that I’m going to feel for the rest of my life, not having Megan here.”

COMMENTS:

Ron Meier’s comments are understandable. However, every choice has a consequence and healing can’t truly take place until the negative emotions are dealt with. Revenge, hatred, anger - whatever is felt may be justifiable on one hand. Yet, emotions that have a negative base will not move one forward. They are not the foundation for positive results.

As a speaker to youth and parents alike about social networking - mostly MySpace and Facebook, etc. - I have the opportunity to help folks understand how to effectively us the tools without becoming a victim of them.

The Meier’s have suffered a terrible loss - a senseless loss - yet, across the board there were more people involved in what took place than just Megan or Drew. As parents, if we want to protect our children, we must understand the playing field of social networking and help to monitor what is taking place and bring understanding and order to MySpace and other forms of internet communication. It is too easy to take on a role that can have a terrible consequence.

Every choice has a consequence. Lori Drew and others will soon be finding out the consequences of their actions. No - there is nothing that can be done to bring Megan back. However, the choices that are made now can bring meaning and value to her death.

For now, teen ethics speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…