Lori Drew's Defense? "Everyone Does It!"

Someone please throw the book at Lori Drew. The woman's a murdering sociopath. She stalks and harrasses a teenager online using a fake identity. So badly in fact, the poor kid commits suicide. Then what does she do?:

MEGAN MEIER

• She tells Megan Meier's (the victim's) parents to "give it a rest."
  
• Then she files a police report and get your attorney to try to rewrite history so you can backpedal.
  
• Then she files a police report on the Meier family for being so angry over the DEATH OF THEIR DAUGHTER they ruined your fuzball table. (everyone knows fuzball tables are worth more than a LIFE!)
  
• Then she wants everyone to feel sorry for her because now SHE'S being harrassed; once the story comes out.
  
• Then she tries blame her employee, another teenager, Ashley Grills.
• now... the article below once the Feds FINALLY do what Jack Banas and the lame politicos in O'Fallon, MO failed to do --
  

Mrs. Drew didn't your mother tell you that just because everyone else does it doesn't mean it's O.K. for you to do, too?

Mrs. Drew do you have any sense of RESPONSIBILITY?

Mrs. Drew - you're guilty in our book. Quit your whining. Go to prison. No passing GO, no collecting dime one for your 'pain & suffering.'

Myspace suicide woman 'did what loads of people do online'
By Emma Hughes
Pretended to be someone else and hassled a teen so much she killed herself

MISSOURI MOTHER Lori Drew’s lawyer is now arguing that if she is guilty, then so are millions of other internet users every day.

The case concerns the harassment of a young girl over the net which spiralled out of control when the torment got too much for thirteen-year old Megan Meier, who was subsequently found hung in her bedroom. Drew is charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing a computer without authorization.

Court papers filed yesterday show that while what Drew did can be seen as wrong, there is no actual legal sanction against it. Drew’s assumed identity of a 16-year-old-boy ‘Josh Evans’ and a count of conspiracy is all she can be pinned for.

Defense attorney H. Dean Steward wrote: “The government, in its zeal to charge Lori Drew with something, anything, has tried to criminalise everyday, ordinary conduct: the wayward or misuse of a social network site”.

This causes a problem, as Drew is but a drop in an ocean of people who commit this ‘crime’ every day.

A former computer crime prosecutor, Mark Rasch confirms this point by noting that “the problem with this case is it makes a criminal out of virtually everybody online.”

Orin S. Kerr, a former federal computer crime prosecutor points out that “the possibilities for abuse are endless because Web site terms of service are arbitrary”, and so the debate continues.

ORIGINAL

THE MEGAN MEIER FOUNDATION

CLICK HERE TO DISCUSS THE MEGAN MEIER CASE

RELATED POSTS:

WEB HOAX LED GIRL TO KILL HERSELF

MYSPACE HOAX VICTIMS' FAMILY SEEKS JUSTICE

PUBLIC OUTCRY ON THE MEGAN MEIER CASE

A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY EOPC RUNS THIS SITE

EOPC ATTACKED ON TV OVER MEGAN MEIER CASE

JUSTICE FOR MEGAN MEIER

SUPPORT FOR OUR STAND ON THE MEGAN MEIER CASE

MEDIA PEES ON MEGAN AND TELLS BLOGGERS ITS RAIN

THE MEGAN MEIER CASE

NO APOLOGY, EVEN IN DEATH, FROM MEGAN'S 'MURDERER'

LORI DREW: PREDATOR OR INTERNET MARTYR?

LORI DREW: HAPPY; MEGAN MEIER: DEAD

MYSPACE SUICIDE CASE: NOT OVER

MYSPACE SUICIDE CASE - SOME TRUTH AT LAST

LORI DREW - FINALLY INDICTED

A MARRIAGE DATABASE IS NEEDED!

THE ABSOLUTE NEED FOR A MARRIAGE DATABASE
Fight Bigamy says:
"Our archaic system is failing in our transitional, wireless-based society of today. Moreover, Internet dating sites have given many of these predators a whole new supply. Our fragile system is taken advantage of by serial bigamists sociopaths and con artists." (and Cyberpaths!)

Click here to read this whole article

~~~~~
"So how do they do it? First of all, sociopaths are experts at sizing up a person’s vulnerabilities. Secondly, they are professional manipulators.

Sociopaths are fluent liars. They sidestep questions and always have a plausible answer when discrepancies are noticed. They create authentic-looking documentation. They imply that other people vouch for them, and actually convince other people to cover for them. They keep people apart so it’s impossible to compare notes.

As a result, it is extremely difficult to spot the deception of a sociopath.

The point of a marriage database is to make the public records searchable."

by - Donna Anderson

EXCERPTED FROM THIS WONDERFUL ARTICLE - CLICK HERE

I Had an Emotional Affair

How "innocent" chats and e-mails nearly destroyed my marriage
By David Bauer

"Here." With tears streaming down her face, Dawn,* my wife of five years, stormed into my office at work and tossed a list on my desk. "I need you to stop at the grocery store on your way home. I have to pick up the kids."

"What's wrong?" I approached her, but she waved me away.

"You never talk to me, and you expect me to tell you what's wrong? Forget it!"

"Dawn, please. Sit down and tell me why you're so upset."

"Not here. Later." She left before I could argue further.

I didn't try to stop her. Dawn knew. Somehow she'd discovered the secret I'd concealed for months. I'd fallen in love with another woman.

Dawn and I had been high school sweethearts. I couldn't wait to marry her. But our marriage soon began to unravel. Close ties to her family, who lived nearby, constantly interfered with our time as a couple. Dawn didn't see the need to separate from her parents and put me first. She ran to them when we had a disagreement. If we went out for dinner and a movie, she invited them along.

Over time, I began to feel like a child waiting to join a kickball team, raising my hand and shouting, "Pick me! Pick me!" Jealousy grew, poisoning our marriage.

In a heated argument one night, I demanded, "If I asked you to choose between me and your parents, whom would you choose?"

Without speaking she answered my question.

Four years into our marriage, Dawn and I had drifted apart. I'd grown weary of being rejected, emotionally and sexually. Her excuses for refusing my sexual advances ranged from fatigue to lack of interest. One night in bed, I massaged her back and legs, knowing it was a turn on to her. She responded with a perfunctory kiss on the lips.

"Not tonight, David. Maybe tomorrow." She rolled over and went to sleep, leaving me dejected and hurt.

Before long we were having sex only once every couple months. I envied my married friends who described frequent, healthy sexual relationships. As my resentment grew, I began to wonder what I'd ever loved about Dawn.

A change of scene
Needing a change, I enrolled in a local community college. I met Stephanie my first semester. We attended several classes together. I learned her father worked for the same company I did, and Stephanie and I both had a child the same age. She was stuck in an unsatisfying relationship with her live-in boyfriend; I was disillusioned in my marriage. We connected instantly, sharing long conversations over lunch, in-between classes, and sometimes even during class.

Second semester, Stephanie and I didn't have any classes together. Deprived of the opportunity to see and talk with each other, we started to chat over the Internet. I also created a new e-mail account strictly for our correspondence.

Our instant messaging began as a way to communicate during class, similar to the way I'd passed notes as a kid. But the sessions grew more frequent, and soon I was chatting while at my job and late at night while doing homework. Our physical separation provided a false sense of security when our conversations and e-mails turned gradually more flirtatious.

Stephanie stood out from other women I knew. She was free spirited-intelligent, funny, and carefree. But most important, she was attentive and non-judgmental. As our friendship grew, so did my romantic feelings.

Inside, though, I was conflicted. Though I knew I was breaking my vows, I felt Dawn's rejection justified my feelings for Stephanie. I often cried out to God through journaling and poetry. I knew he'd forgive me if I repented. But at the same time, I blamed God for allowing my marriage to fall apart. And frankly, I wasn't ready to repent.

The great divide
Sensing the growing chasm between us, Dawn sought ways to spend more time together, clearing her calendar of events planned weeks in advance. She made certain we ate supper together and cooked my favorite foods. I stubbornly resisted her efforts.

"How was your day?" she'd ask when I came home from work.

"Fine," I'd reply, then ignore her. Although I knew I should work on my marriage, I was still angry about Dawn's loyalty to her parents and her sexual rejection of me. I wanted to hurt her as badly as she'd hurt me.

Months earlier I'd planned a romantic, 5th-anniversary trip to Cancun. As my relationship with Stephanie intensified, so did my desire to get out of the trip. One week before we were to leave, Dawn and I had a heated argument.

"We may as well cancel our trip to Cancun," I said. "I don't want to waste the time or money when all we do is fight."

Shocked, Dawn began to sob.

I cancelled our reservations the next day.

Four weeks passed. One day at work an instant message from Stephanie popped onto my screen. "I need to tell you something, but I don't know how."

Replying back, I urged, "You can share anything with me."

"It's really personal and I don't want to look foolish."

"Okay," I said, "if it makes you feel better, send me an e-mail."

Sure she was going to confide her feelings toward me, I logged onto my e-mail account. I read her message, savoring every word.

"The last several weeks have been great," she wrote. "I know you're married, which makes this a lot harder." My heart pounded in my chest as I read on. "I've realized I have feelings for you. I often imagine what it would be like to kiss you."

Elated, I replied back, "Me too."

For the first time in months, I felt needed and wanted. I looked forward with anticipation to kissing Stephanie. A few weeks later, at a remote picnic spot, we shared our first kiss. My heart said I'd found paradise; my head screamed, What are you doing? Although we never progressed past kissing, each time we kissed the pull to go further strengthened.

As I continued to withdraw from Dawn, she became angry. "You touch that laptop more than you touch me," she complained.

"Welcome to my world," I muttered, remembering her sexual rejections.

"David, I've tried. Won't you ever forgive me?"

"You've pushed me away for years. It's too late to fix things."

I thought about Stephanie, how she gave me the attention I craved. She soothed my wounded ego with compliments and love notes, filling a void in my heart. I began to believe she was my soul mate. I was in love.

Walking a tightrope
Late one night I was instant messaging Stephanie, when Dawn sat up in bed.

"What are you working on?"

"Homework," I replied.

A message from Stephanie popped up, and I quickly minimized it.

"What was that?" Dawn asked.

Adrenaline rushed through my body. "An Internet advertisement."

I knew my sneaking around was wrong. I buried myself in work and school, no longer wanting to be home. Fearing my relationship with Stephanie would be discovered, I limited my contact with family and church friends. I knew I should end things between us, but I wasn't strong enough.

Six weeks had passed since Stephanie and I admitted our feelings for each other. One night after skipping class to be with her, I returned home to receive a call from Alex, a family friend. He asked if I'd meet with him.

"I've seen changes in you," Alex told me when we got together. "Your priorities have shifted. You're investing far more time in school and your friends there than in your wife and son." He proceeded to share how, as a young husband and father of three, he'd cheated on his wife with a female college instructor. "David, I can see my past living out in you."

For some reason I confessed my relationship with Stephanie, and that I was ready to leave Dawn and our son, Drew, for her. Alex listened patiently, making one request—that I allow him to arrange for Dawn and me to meet with a marriage counselor. I promised I'd think about it.

Secrets revealed
The next day, Dawn confronted me in my office. Alex must have told Dawn about Stephanie.

I stewed as I drove home from work that night, bracing myself for the confrontation to come. How dare Alex tell Dawn!

When I arrived home Dawn's face was puffy and tear-stained as she prepared supper. After an uncomfortably silent dinner, I tucked Drew into bed. Walking downstairs, I found Dawn sitting on the couch, waiting. I sat on the floor and said, "Is there anything you want to ask me?"

"Who is she?" Dawn asked. "How long has this been going on?"

I told her Stephanie's name and that we'd been involved for six or seven weeks.

"Do you love her?"

"I think so," I admitted. "I'm not sure I can end the relationship. How did you find out?"

Dawn started to cry. "Alex told Mom and Dad. When I stopped by their house this afternoon, Mom was crying. They didn't want to tell me what was wrong, but I guessed."

It figures, I thought angrily. Once again Dawn's parents had come between us.

I felt I was on trial as I confessed everything—that I'd become emotionally involved with Stephanie through e-mails and instant messaging, and that the affair was on the verge of becoming sexual.

I hoped Dawn would give up on us. Since I didn't have the courage to end our marriage, I wanted her to do it.

When I revealed that Stephanie's mother attended the same woman's group as Dawn, her control snapped. "What?" she yelled. "It's her?" Eyes flashing with anger, she ran to the basement. Grabbing a plastic baseball bat, she beat it against the stacks of Rubbermaid containers and cardboard boxes.

"You're nothing but a liar!" she wailed loud enough for me to hear her upstairs. "How could you betray me like this?"

I stood in the kitchen, torn between anger and shame.

You drove me to it, I thought bitterly. You chose your parents over me, so I chose Stephanie over you.

Dawn finally came upstairs, red-eyed and exhausted. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"I'm willing to work through this," she said. "But it's your decision. Either you end your relationship with Stephanie, or it's the end of our marriage."

The next five days were the darkest I've ever experienced. My secret was out. Our family and church friends knew what I'd done. Inside me, a spiritual battle raged. I replayed the notes, the cards, the conversations, and the physical attraction that drew me to Stephanie. Though ashamed, I didn't want the fantasy to end.

A few days later I received a letter from a respected friend. I wept as I read her loving admonishment. "I fear that if you turn your back on Dawn and Drew, you'll forever be haunted by deep regrets and wounds that will never heal completely. Yes, God forgives, but we must bear the 'blisters of the heart.'"

I wept most of that night. Dawn stayed with me, comforting me.

The next day I knew what I had to do. I e-mailed Stephanie that I'd decided to work out things with Dawn and was ending the relationship. "Please don't contact me anymore," was my final statement.

Stephanie responded angrily. "I wish you'd made that decision earlier so I didn't end up hurting people I care for!"

Two days later Dawn and I entered marital counseling. As we talked, I was able to make Dawn understand how deeply she'd hurt me. "I felt as if you loved your parents more than me," I confessed. "I'm so tired of feeling rejected. So I decided it was less painful if I pulled away from you."

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way," she replied. "I'm completely committed to fixing our marriage, whatever the cost."

As we worked to bridge the distance between us, physical love became a catalyst for our healing. "I need to be close to you," Dawn told me. "I feel as if we're becoming one again."

While it took just weeks for my heart to stray, restoring our marriage took much longer. At times I questioned if staying with Dawn had been the right decision. When we fought, I'd recall the good times Stephanie and I had shared, and I was tempted to pick up the phone or e-mail her.

Dawn had doubts as well. "I still don't trust you 100 percent," she confessed nearly two years later. "Sometimes when we fight I wonder if you're still sneaking around."

More than five years have passed. Rather than involving her parents in our disputes, Dawn now seeks counsel from two women. They help her see when she's right, when she's wrong, and how to grow in her role as a wife.

Though my job requires that I correspond with colleagues, male and female, through e-mail and instant messaging, I limit my conversations to work-related topics. If a conversation drifts to a personal tone, I end it. I also meet with six other men to share, study, and pray on Sunday mornings.

As Dawn and I continue to rebuild trust, we're committed to being honest about our feelings and thoughts and with each other.

* names have been changed

David Bauer is a pseudonym for an author living in Minnesota.

(EOPC DOES NOT AGREE with cutting off the 'other woman' who was truly a pawn in all this - 'David' could have taken a break from Stephanie, and worked to reframe their friendship after working on his marriage. Though current therapists say cut it off - it makes life MUCH TOO EASY for the cyberpath & traumatizes the victim. We don't agree.

Considering he & Stephanie never physically consummated things - and that Stephanie was very supportive to him - it also ends what could be a decent friendship. The current advice of just 'cutting it off' is turning out to be more harm than help psychologically to victims. And far too easy for the predator. Especially for the other 'person' who is often a pawn or target.

'David' could have introduced the 2 women eventually if he wanted - and worked on his marriage while making appropriate amends to Stephanie. Stephanie got hurt and used, and now this writer is talking about how great it all was for him to save his marriage.

While saving the marriage was a good thing, where does that leave the 3rd person? Something's not right.... Our 10 cents - Fighter)

SOME OF OUR 'EMOTIONAL AFFAIRS'
Click and scroll through all the posts to read everything on each of these:
- Doug Beckstead
-Keith Clive
- Brad Dorsky
"J"/ aka Gridney/ aka YidwithLid
Steven Langley Guy

Online Reputation and Personal Responsibility

Sites are cropping up all over the internet that promise to protect your reputation online. This started me thinking about online reputation and personal responsibility in the face of an ever shrinking online world.

At what point does our personal responsibility for our own online reputation end?

In this internet age, your reputation is not just everything, it's everywhere.

Logging on to sites like FaceBook and MySpace, we are confronted with the changing face of society. A younger set perfectly content to put every detail of their lives online, without regard to the consequences. What effect does this propensity of information and lowering of boundaries have on the average individual's future? On the average company?

The answer is that it can adversely effect both individual and company in a variety of ways. Most people who have been online longer than ten minutes know the term "to get dooced" mean to be fired for blogging during/about work. The term was coined for blogger Heather Armstrong, who writes the blog Dooce, and who was one of the first bloggers to find out just how entwined your online reputation is with your offline one. It worked out well for Dooce (her blog is still going strong), but in most cases it works out poorly for he individual.

A company can face even more serious repercussions if its reputation goes in the toilet online. That is why so many companies are adopting strict policies blocking and/or regulating access to the internet at work. One slip by an employee on their personal site, blog or social network profile page can have a company facing serious repercussions for leaked products and other fiascos. That doesn't even begin to touch on how employee conduct may reflect on certain organizations that depend on having a clean reputation to do business.

Add in to the mix the anonymity of the web, which makes people lower their guard even further, and you can have a real mess on your hands. Most people will change their behavior if they think they can get away with it, and the web breeds an erroneous feeling that "no one can see the real you". In face, online, everyone can see the real you. All of the information that has ever been online about you, both private and public, is usually only a few clicks away. That's a sobering thought that most people don't ever pause to consider.

Companies have been cropping up in recent months to handle the new need for online reputation monitoring in the age of hyper connectivity. Some of these companies, like Techrigy, got their start as something else (in the case of Techrigy, a blog backup service is evolving into a reputation protector for companies). Reputation Defender is making a name for itself helping several women lawyers manage their images after they viciously attacked online. Other companies cropping up to help either companies or individuals keep their reputations and identitiy intact include: Stolen ID Search, MyPublicInfo, Claim ID, Naymz, Choice Point, and new uses for old school application LexusNexus.

All of those companies charge steep fee for what amounts to little more than damage control. Once your reputation flounders online, the ensuing ripple effect is often hard to staunch before it becomes a river. For all attacks on individual reputations, a little discretion fro the moment you first log onto a computer and start posting information about yourself would go a long way. Unfortunately, sometimes even the most cautious and circumspect can fall afoul of a vindictive soul (or souls). There are always going to be internet users who see the curtain of anonymity as license to be abusive and libel others, and they are hard to shake once they become fixated on someone.

Companies have their share of zealot opponents too, but they have an easier time dealing with them. By having a response come from the top of the organization immediately upon being faced with a problem, being sincere, and keeping the response as transparent as possible, a company can do much to staunch the hemorrhaging of its reputation due to one incident (the Gizmodo response to the indictment of its action at CES was one example of how not to act when your reputation is challenged online). If a company hasn't been careful with its reputation in the past, or simply puts out a terrible product or service that gets more than just a little bad feedback, they maybe they need to hire an online reputation repair service after all.

In my view, personal responsibility goes much further than damage control. Face the fact that unless you have been hyper-vigilant every minute of every day both on and offline, chances are you have something stupid, somewhere, sometime. Even greater are the chance that you or someone else got it on camera, blogged it or otherwise put it out there for the world to see. When that happens, being as forthright as possible about your own actions will go much farther to correct the situation than an online reputation management firm ever could.

In the end, your online reputation is up to you, the individual, and you, the company. Education is key - know where your data is going to be used, and how.

Pay attention to how you present yourself online. Take note of your actions and how they could be construed by others. Behave online as if your mother was looking over your shoulder, instead of as if you were hiding behind a curtain of anonymity, free to be as hurtful as you please. Remember that there are consequences for your actions, even online, though they may not be the ones you expect. If all else fails, face the music with square shoulders and a responsible attitude.

SOURCE

BRIAN ELLINGTON - Con Man, Sexual Predator, Possible Cyberpath

We took these excerpts from our friends at LoveFraud who have a wonderful 4 page write up on this person. We urge you to read & heed it - CLICK HERE

Pictures of Mr. Ellington are available there as well.

from LOVEFRAUD:

This person is real. This happened to me from September 2005 until October 2006. I was barely able to drag myself away from him. It is my opinion that he will not stop his lying and conning/fraud behaviors unless the authorities physically stop him. Despite repeated complaints to the police and 200 very detailed and organized pages of statement/saved evidence, identifying information, etc., etc.—I handed everything to them on a silver platter—the New York City Police refuse to take any action whatsoever to stop this career liar.

(We have heard this REPEATEDLY at EOPC. That police and law enforcement refuse to do anything about the threats, the information regarding fraud, soliciting prostitutes, scamming, etc that victims find online. Some victims have had to go to Congresspeople, Senators and Provincal Officials to get ANY action from the police at all.

By the way - this is the second time we have heard about NYPD giving 'relationship advice' rather than DOING anything)

I am an adult and I accept my own mistakes in allowing a bad person to be in my life and I accept my losses. I accept that the money is gone forever. I will deal with the consequences like the responsible adult that I am. What really bothers and haunts me is that he is out there and he will NOT stop. I think he will never stop, and the authorities are just flat out choosing to ignore it.

It is my opinion that this man targets women. Brian Ellington has no recent (as in the last two years) stable employment history and no recent rental history that I could find. These facts, combined with unemployment and no money, require a new relationship with a female who will pay or allow him to stay for free. A smart person looking to get away with these behaviors can easily find that when you combine sex with fraud and stealing, the police don't care.

The New York Police have every opportunity to stop him. They could conduct a simple undercover operation if they do not feel they have enough evidence—I am convinced he will repeat the illegal fraudulent behavior—and they could very easily take him off the street.

But the New York Police Department refuses to act.

MORE:

I did a background check on him using www.intelius.com. This revealed 75—yes, 75—pages of arrest records for multiple counts of public urination, marijuana possession and selling in college, drunk driving, driving with license revoked, credit card theft, credit card fraud and multiple counts of larceny.

That check didn't yet include his most recent conviction—I found that later on the North Carolina Department of Corrections website. He was convicted of charging to someone else's credit card and ordered to pay approximately $9,500 in fines and restitution.

MORE:

I had attached an IP address tracking software to my MySpace page, which told me the location and address of anyone who clicked on my page. Most of my hits were always from him. I was getting hits on my page from Ridgefield, California and nothing from North Carolina , so I thought something was fishy. I'm pretty sure he was in California.

After a few days, I was getting Internet hits on my web page from Las Vegas . I believe it was Brian; he said he was going there. I did not shut down my web page because I wanted to have a way to tell where he was. Then a week later, he started writing nasty e-mails to my MySpace account. They came from a Kinko's in Tennessee , and it looked like he went back to Kinko's three times over the course of the day.

(Wonder why he was online so much? Looking for other targets probably and checking up on this one!)

YOU CAN ALSO READ MORE BY CLICKING HERE

ONLINE DATING ATTRACTS MARRIED FOLKS

ONLINE DATING VIRTUALLY IRRESISTIBLE TO SOME MARRIED FOLKS
Oh, what a tangled Web is weaved as rapidly growing numbers of married people sneak into Internet chat rooms for romantic or sexual thrills they think they aren't getting from their spouses, a new University of Florida study finds.

"Never before has the dating world been so handy for married men and women looking for a fling,"said Beatriz Avila Mileham, who conducted the research for her doctoral dissertation in counselor education at UF. "With cybersex, there is no longer any need for secret trips to obscure motels. An online liaison may even take place in the same room with one's spouse."

In the words of one 41-year-old man in the study, "All I have to do is turn on my computer, and I have thousands of women to choose from. (It) can't get any easier than that."

Counseling organizations report chat rooms and instant messaging are the fastest-rising cause of relationship breakdowns, and the problem only stands to get worse as today's population of Internet users, estimated at 649 million worldwide, continues to grow, Mileham said.

"The Internet will soon become the most common form of infidelity, if it isn't already," she said.

Unlike some fatal attractions, a simple click of a mouse button ends contact - should the person want to break it off - without any explanations or apologies, she said.

In 2002, Mileham conducted in-depth online interviews with 76 men and 10 women, ages 25 to 66, who used Yahoo's "Married and Flirting" or Microsoft's "Married But Flirting," Internet chat rooms geared specifically for married people. The study's participants, who represented every state, included stay-at-home mothers, construction workers, engineers, nurses and presidents of large corporations.

Some went online for a quick "sex fix," while others established more meaningful connections where they talked about personal problems, marital issues and things like that, Mileham said. Others hoped to have a real-life affair. Still others wanted to engage in cybersex, exchanging sexual fantasies with someone while masturbating, she said.

The vast majority said they loved their spouses but sought an erotic encounter online because of boredom, a partner's lack of sexual interest or the need for variety and fun, Mileham said.

"I'm not going to cheat," wrote one married man. "I'm just capturing back some of those butterflies we feel when we're young and start flirting and dating."

"The No. 1 complaint from men was lack of sex in the marriage," Mileham said. "Many of them said their wife was so involved in childrearing that she wasn't interested in having sex."

Because there is no touching involved in online chat conversations, married people often rationalize their behavior as harmless fun, Mileham said. Eighty-three percent of the study's participants said they did not consider themselves to be cheating, and the remaining 17 percent deemed it a "weak" form of infidelity that was easily justifiable, she said.

Other research has shown, however, that most spouses feel as betrayed, angry and hurt by online infidelity as they would if skin-to-skin adultery had taken place, she said.

The UF study found an escalating quality to these online contacts. Many reported that what started as innocent, friendly exchanges progressed quickly to strong desires for sexual relationships, she said.

Twenty-six of the 86 study participants went on to meet the person whom they had been engaged in an online relationship with, and of these, all but two ended up having a real-life affair. One 66-year-old man ended up having 13 affairs this way, she said.

Research shows that more males than females use chat rooms, said Mileham, who found it difficult to get women to respond to her survey. Females are usually bombarded with messages and can pick and choose which messages they respond to, she said.

Al Cooper, a leading expert in the field of Internet sexuality and the author of the book "Sex and the Internet: A Guidebook for Clinicians," said Mileham's research is important in helping to understand this increasingly common phenomenon.

"We are hearing from therapists around the country reporting online sexual activity to be a major cause of marital problems," Cooper said. "We need to better understand the contributing factors if we are going to be able to warn people about the slippery slope that starts with online flirting and too often ends in divorce."
With the exception of two of the study's participants, all hid their online activities from their spouses, often "chatting" after their husbands or wives had gone to sleep, Mileham said. But some used this form of effortless escapism while their spouse was in the room, she said.

Said one such man, "While I'm on the computer my wife just assumes I'm writing a report for work." Another man said his wife, who knew what he was doing and didn’t like it, looked over his shoulder sometimes while he was typing, Mileham said.

Much of the Internet's appeal to married people is the anonymity it guarantees, coupled with the no-touching aspect, which they view as a license to be sexual, Mileham said. One can reveal the most intimate emotional and sexual details to an unseen stranger at any time of the day or night, she said.

Several participants indicated they divulged more about themselves to online partners than to their wives or husbands.

"We started chatting about life, our marriage, what we like to eat, what sexual positions we like the best," wrote one man to Mileham. "I felt like I've known her in another life."
Mileham believes the time has come for the Internet to become as essential a part of pre-marital discussions as is whether or not to have children. "To prevent future problems, young couples, as well as long-term committed couples, need to talk about what role the Internet will play in their relationship."

- Cathy Keen

THIS WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE IF THIS WAS IN PLACE!! CLICK HERE

ALWAYS CHECK THEM OUT FIRST!

Internet News - Click the Links to Read

Feel free to share these articles with your friends & family as well as law enforcement if you are reporting similar crimes!

Boyfriend's campaign of hatred - 07/01/08
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/boyfriends-campaign-of-hatred/2008/06/30/1214677946072.html
WHEN Elvis Kovacic discovered his girlfriend was still friends with a former boyfriend he had never met, the 30-year-old accountant set out to destroy the man's reputation in an anonymous hate campaign of phone threats, pamphlet letterbox drops and emails.

Former Morris undersheriff pleads guilty to internet harassment - 06/30/08
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/former_undersheriff_pleads_gui.html
A former Morris County undersheriff admitted this morning he posted sexually explicit photographs of a woman on the internet without her consent.

MySpace Users Struggle to Overcome Cybervandalism - 06/30/08
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/147730/myspace_users_struggle_to_overcome_cybervandalism.html
One of the first social networking upstarts, MySpace, is facing continuing security problems that threaten to spoil many of the innovative features that make the site useful.

300 Internet death threats since Tokyo killing spree - 06/28/08
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080628/tc_afp/japancrimeinternet;_ylt=Akot5_oBszx87fky4hHfIpf6VbIF
As many as 300 Internet warnings of mass murder and other death threats have been posted online in Japan after a knifing rampage in Tokyo left seven people dead, media said Saturday.

Man used GPS device to stalk victim, court told - 06/28/08
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23933333-421,00.html
A GOLD Coast businessman who allegedly attached a high-tech tracking device to a female acquaintance's car has appeared in Southport Magistrate's Court charged with stalking.

Hackers Hijack, Redirect IANA and ICANN Web Sites - 06/27/08
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20080627/tc_nf/60525;_ylt=Ajjh9V1ntxF0tue4FHgUJcX6VbIF
Hackers calling themselves NetDevilz temporarily hijacked the sites of key organizations that control routing of Internet traffic and redirected them to a taunting page.

Philadelphia Man Arrested For YouTube Cop Threat - 06/27/08
http://cbs2.com/national/Andre.Moore.YouTube.2.758316.html
Video Shows Security Guard Praising Murder Of Police 'Because I Hate Them'

The password, please: Keep your sanity and your security - 06/27/08
http://www.heraldnews.com/lifestyle/x2113787276/The-password-please-Keep-your-sanity-and-your-security
Your head is aching and your eyes are blurry as you stare at the monitor. But, no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to remember if you created your password with your dog’s name or, wait, maybe it was your husband’s ...

He said, she said: Which is it? Facebook asks - 06/27/08
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN2633402020080628
Social network site Facebook will press members to declare whether they are male or female, seeking to end the grammatical device that leads the site to refer to individual users as "they" or "themself."

Detectives: Beware of threatening email 'scam' - 06/27/08
http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=53758b35-7c2a-4457-9b4f-f0a0fe8fb722
Detective on the Treasure Coast say a threatening "scam" email is turning up in in-boxes throughout the region.

Rumana Says MySpace Stabbing Shows Need for Stricter Internet Controls - 06/26/08
http://www.politickernj.com/mysak/21119/rumana-says-myspace-stabbing-shows-need-stricter-internet-controls
Assemblyman Scott Rumana today said a MySpace fight between two girls that resulted in the stabbing of a 12-year-old is a prime example of why legislation he sponsored that protects personal information of children from being posted on the Internet and prohibits users from assuming false identities is necessary.

Patten to Simmonds: "You are a coward;" Patten to Boone: "Blow me!" - 06/26/08
http://www.veniceflorida.com/features/simmondsandvaba.htm
On the witness stand in the case of Lorenzo v. City of Venice et. al. last Wednesday, Councilman John Simmonds admitted that he had deleted most of his emails. With emails like the ones reproduced below, given the option of deleting them or releasing them -- yeah, deleting them probably seemed like the best option at the time, I'm sure. That's a big ooooooops.

Bismarck nursing student pleads not guilty to threats... - 06/25/08
http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=251189
A student at a Bismarck nursing school accused of making threats on the Internet against the school and other students has pleaded not guilty to felony terrorizing.

Malicious Spam Traffic Triples in One Week - 06/25/08
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=157396&WT.svl=news1_2
A massive bot recruitment campaign appears to be behind a record surge early this month in the volume of malicious spam -- from 3 percent of all spam traffic to nearly 10 percent, according to researchers with Marshal’s TRACE team .

Privacy on the Web: Is It a Losing Battle? - 06/25/08
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1999&jsessionid=9a305e32284e15464873
Visit the Amazon site to buy a book online and your welcome page will include recommendations for other books you might enjoy, including the latest from your favorite authors, all based on your history of purchases. Most customers appreciate these suggestions, much the way they would recommendations by a local librarian.

E-mail threat suspect arrested in Wenatchee - 06/25/08
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n080625a.shtml
A search by Okanogan County Sheriff's Office for a 34-year-old Wenatchee woman led to her arrest June 18 in Wenatchee.

UT e-mail threat - 06/24/08
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6225803
The Toledo man charged with ethnic intimidation against a well-known community member admits he made some strong statements, but he still denies they were threats.

Doctor pleads guilty to cyber stalking - 06/24/08
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080624/NEWS01/806240312/1002
A Mississippi hospice doctor has been spared jail time after authorities say he threatened three women who he thought were complaining about his facility on a Web site.

MySpace prank or violent holdup? - 06/24/08
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/Web/2008/062008/0623sp1
Police charged two Spotsylvania County men yesterday after a Timberwood Road resident called to report a break-in and death threat. According to a press release from 1st Sgt. Liz Scott of the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office, the victim told police he woke up to his dogs barking at 7 a.m. and saw a man in a mask coming into his house.

Thanks to WHOA

"Get Anyone to Do Anything and Never Feel Powerless Again"

Psychological secrets to predict, control and influence every situation

[Chapter 9, Pages 42-43]
By David J. Lieberman, Ph. D.

From the bedroom to the boardroom learn how to see clearly and easily evaluate information without being swayed by those with selfish interests and unkind intentions. The manipulator's bag of tricks is stocked with seven deadly tactics that can leave you jumping through hoops. The good news is that by knowing what they are, you can watch out for them, and...never be manipulated again.

These powerful manipulators are: guilt, intimidation, appeal to ego, fear, curiosity, our desire to be liked, and love.

Anyone who uses any of these tactics is attempting to move you from logic to emotion-to a playing field that's not so level. She or he knows that she or he can't win on the facts so they will try to manipulate your emotions with any one or a combination of the tactics below.

1. Guilt: "How can you even say that?
I'm hurt that you wouldn't trust me.
I just don't know who you are anymore."

2. Intimidation: "What's the matter can't you make a decision?
Don't you have enough confidence in yourself to do this?

3. Appeal to Ego: "I can see that you're a smart person.
I wouldn't try to put anything past you.
How could I? You'd be on me in a second."

4. Fear: "You know, you might [not get "it" if you go take a pee/act un-coach able] just lose the whole thing.
I sure hope you know what you're doing.
I'm telling you that you won't get a better deal anywhere else.
This is your last shot at making things work out.
Why do you want to risk losing out on being happy?"

5. Curiosity: "Look, you only live once.
Try it? You can always go back to how things were.
It might be fun, exciting - a real adventure.
"You never know unless you try and you regret never seeing what happens."

6. Our Desire to be Liked: "I thought you were a real player. And so did everyone else.
Come on, nobody likes it when a person backs out...this can be your chance to prove what you're made of."

7. Love: "If you loved me you wouldn't question me.
Of course I have only your best interests at heart.
I wouldn't lie to you. You know that deep down inside, don't you?
We can have a wonderful relationship if you'd only let yourself go and experience the wonders that the future will deliver to us."

Strategy Review:
Look and listen objectively--not only to the words but also to the message.The abusive maneuvers interfere with your ability to digest facts. When these emotions creep into your thinking, temporarily suspend your feelings and look at the messenger as well as the message.

If you hear anything that sounds like these manipulators, stop and reevaluate the situation. Don't ever act quickly and emotionally. Wait and objectively gather the facts so you don't become a hand puppet.

ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS: THE ART OF MISPERCEPTION

Is "real" love possible to attain via computer? There are many factors that come into play when two people fall in love. Some cannot be described in a definitive way; such as chemical attraction. Other factors are qualities that we find in another person that compliment our desires of a “perfect” mate. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, caring, a fun loving personality and good morals are just a few of these qualities. Many woman and men alike, have “fallen in love” over the internet. They have done so, without the possibility of truly seeing any of these qualities in the other person. So before we put our hearts on the line, we must ask ourselves; is it truly possible to love someone via computer?

The majority of people who believe they have discovered true love without actually meeting the other person, have done so by implementing a type of instant messenger or video conferencing. We will focus on this element, as the element of a webcam can be misleading. When two people find each other and begin to chat online, one of two things happens. Either they do not feel a connection or they do. If a connection is felt, this can quickly escalate into chatting every day. They believe they have discovered the excitement that one feels when meeting someone new. However, they have not really met, have they?

It is a fact that many people are lonely. This is not new to us, many single people are busy with work, single moms are busy with their children and it can be very daunting and difficult to find a meaningful relationship in the “real” world. With personal computers in the majority of every household, many people turn to this internet environment when they are lonely and wish for someone to talk to.

It is important to realize that the world inside a computer is not, and never can be, the real world. When craving acceptance, love, caring, attention and a relationship, one can easily be led astray into the art of misperception. Often, this misperception is not done on purpose. Both people involved in the online relationship do not even realize this is happening.

The truth of the matter is this: the key elements of a true and loving relationship cannot materialize through a computer. You may wish for them, daydream of them and tell yourself they exist, but they do not. Starting with physical and chemical attraction: a person may feel they are attracted to the image on a webcam but this in no way is the actual person that exists. Anyone who owns a webcam surely understands that it is very easy to show yourself in a good light via cam. If you feel that you are completely attracted to the other person, ask yourself this: Do you entirely show your true self on your cam? Webcams are an image of you, a moving image and very far from what you are perceived as in person. If you are attracted to someone via cam, ask yourself, have you stood close to him or her and taken in the presence of his or her body? Do you love the fragrance of their cologne/ perfume? Do you love the feel of their kisses? When they hug you, is it done strongly or softy? Do you love those hugs? When you touch their hair, do you admire the feel of it? The smell of it? The answer, of course is no. You have no idea what this person is like in person nor how you feel physically and emotionally when touching them.

Qualities such as honesty, loyalty, integrity, caring and general overall mood are extremely important to a strong and loving relationship. If a person possesses these qualities, it can then free you to respect the person and set a ground for trust and a feeling of safety. Someone who is in love online, may debate that they have seen these qualities already. To this, I ask:
Are you there in the house when they get home from work and see what they do with all of their spare time?

Are you witness to their work ethics?

Do you sit around a table with their family and see the loving interaction?

Have you gotten in an argument and have seen if the other person stays to talk or walks out the door in anger?

Have you stood by them when they hear some unpleasant news and are witness to how they react?

Have you greeted them at the end of a long day, a day that tested their nerves, and then received a hug?

Did you cook and then burn dinner and they told you it does not matter, they love you for trying?

Did you forget to run an important errand that you promised you would, and they told you not to worry?

The list is endless. The conclusion is that there is no possible way to know of how this person will interact in a relationship without physically being with them.

Love can be confusing. Craving a relationship or marriage can send people in a blindness that prevents them from understanding the misperception that occurs online. Again, this misperception does not need be by intention. The mere fact that there is no actual “in person” interface is what causes this misperception to arise in the first place. A person can be intrigued, in lust, in "like", or in a false reality of love when online with another. Only in spending quality time face-to-face, will the true colors of the other surface.

It is at that time, that one should decide if they are in love.

Written by Alisa Chagnon

Richard Nunnick - Cyberpath/ Predator - Busted!

Richard Nunnick, the 46 year-old hunting guide who allegedly duped thousands of dollars out of people he tricked with a cancer sob-story, has been arrested and charged with fraud.

Last month, The Press revealed details of a trail of heartbreak left by the one-time Christchurch resident.

Since publishing the story, The Press has been contacted by at least 10 people, including Nunnick's former wife, claiming to have been his victims.

Yesterday, Nunnick appeared in the Christchurch District Court on two fraud-related charges. He was granted bail to reappear at a later date.

Acting Detective Sergeant Rusty Rayne said Nunnick came in voluntarily when he was contacted by police over the charges.

The charges related to one complaint laid via email from the United States. It related to incidents last year.

Rayne would not confirm the identity of the complainant.

Nunnick advertised on online dating websites saying he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had not.

One woman who contacted The Press about Nunnick said he told her he had broken his back in a base-jumping accident.

"He explained in great detail about how his chute hadn't opened, and how he'd hit the rock face on the way down before hitting the ground," the woman said.

Nunnick's former wife, Michelle, said she was pleased to hear he had been brought to account.

Michelle, who now lives in Australia, does not want her last name published.

She said Nunnick had done a lot of things that were immoral but not necessarily illegal.

Rayne said police were seeking a legal opinion on further charges, but they were unlikely.

Thank you to our member T.S. for this item!

SOURCE

Net Ensnares Cheaters in Tangled Web

By David Koeppel

Adultery was once kept a secret. Not online.

The Internet dating (search) craze is blazing a trail of broken marriages, thanks to dozens of sites inviting participants to identify themselves as "not so happily married," "married but that shouldn't matter" or even the seemingly archaic, "married but we swing."

Studies show some 30 percent of online dating visitors are married - and recent research by the University of Florida (search) reports that what starts out as flirting and cybersex quickly escalates into the real thing.

The Internet became an easy escape for "Beth," a 43-year-old married New Yorker who dated about 60 men in three years until she met Steve, who's also married -- but now sneaking around with Beth.

"We see each other once or twice a week," she says. "We have a lot in common, have a great time together and the sex is phenomenal."

She says a cold husband sent her surfing for more. "There was no warmth or any physical affection," she says glumly.

She tried cajoling her husband into seeing a marriage counselor, but after only one visit, he refused to return. She didn't want a divorce because of their 10-year-old daughter, so she posted an ad online.

"I'm not interested in jeopardizing my marriage or anyone else's," she said. "I just wanted to find someone special I could click with."

Other women interviewed say they've been searching for deeper emotional relationships than their husbands are able to give -- but aren't ready to leave.

"I guess the sex just isn't what it used to be when we first met," says Nicole, 28, a married New Yorker who's listed her profile online. "I miss the feeling of sex being new and exciting. It's addicting."

Addiction is something that Chris Samuels, the co-director of a sexual addiction treatment center, understands all too well. She has treated many married and unmarried patients who've gotten caught up in Internet lust.

"Its power is almost trance-inducing," she says. "You can troll these sites and have a fantasy ready and waiting. Cybersex can provide a quick and powerful high. It's like crack cocaine to sex addicts."

(IT IS TRANCE INDUCING - STAY AWAY!!!!!!)

Alfred, 49, is a self-described Internet Lothario who says he's been "swinging" for 23 years.

Before going online, he would post ads in "swinger magazines," sometimes waiting two to four months to set up a first meeting.

Now his desires can be gratified almost instantly by posting ads on the Internet.

"While I'm open to a relationship, I'd prefer someone I can meet for no-strings mutual sexual pleasure on a continuing basis," he says.

Alfred's new online ads generally attract several interested women ("I'm a seller in a buyer's market," he says proudly).

He usually hooks up with married women, but says there are plenty of singles who don't mind that he's already spoken for.

Unfortunately, while these spouses are sowing their wild oats, there's likely to be someone at home who's getting hurt.

John LaSage, 43, from California, could attest to that -- his wife left him and his two teenage daughters to take off with an Internet boyfriend.

The experience led him to create chatcheaters.com -- a Web site designed to help dissuade potential cheaters and to comfort those who've been hurt by them.

"Chatting is OK, cheating is not," says LaSage.

"People should realize how quickly relationships can form online. Flirting can lead to real-world affairs."

If you suspect your spouse of having an online affair, "Bring the issue out into the open," he says.

"Look out for the warning signs" -- like excessive Internet use, new email accounts, turning off the computer when you walk in the room.

Pepper Schwartz, a professor of sociology at the University of Washington and the relationships expert for online dating site Perfectmatch.com, says married men are much more likely to say they're just looking for sex than married women, but ultimately the search is about loneliness.

"... It's about gratification," she said. "They want someone to find them attractive, someone to want them passionately."

But not every married person who's gone the online route has found the affair of their dreams.

Wayne, a 49-year-old man from New Jersey, complains that his inbox is usually cluttered with undesirable partners and a fair share of transsexuals and cross-dressers.

But that may be just the ticket for 34-year-old "Rockerdude" of New York City, who advertises online that he's hoping to make sweet music with men, women -- and anything in between.

"Yes, I am married, but we have a very liberal, open-minded relationship," he writes.

With additional reporting by Michael Shashoua

HUSBAND FOUND GUILTY OF WIRETAPPING WIFE'S COMPUTER

Police blotter: Husband spies on wife's computer
By Declan McCullagh -- Staff Writer, CNET News.com

"Police blotter" is a weekly CNET News.com report on the intersection of technology and the law.

What: Reports of home computer wiretapping surface in tempestuous New Jersey divorce case.

When: Superior Court of New Jersey ruled June 8.

Outcome: Wife succeeds in raising her share of the settlement in a divorce case.

What happened, according to court documents:
Peter Garfinkel, 41, asked for a divorce from his wife of six years, Lori Garfinkel, 38, in March 2001. They had separated earlier that month, and Lori remained in the marital home with three children all under 3 years old.

After her husband started court proceedings for a divorce, Lori Garfinkel filed a counterclaim alleging the following: transmission of sexual disease, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wiretapping.

The wiretapping charges are what make this unfortunate case relevant to Police Blotter. During the trial in state court, the judge dismissed Lori's claims related to sexual disease and emotional distress. But Peter admitted to "wiretapping" Lori's computer.

The description is general: Peter used an unspecified monitoring device to track his wife's computer transactions and record her e-mails. Lori was granted $7,500 on the wiretapping claim.

Overall, though, the trial judge did not find her credible and ruled that she misrepresented her income, assets and expenses. Lori appealed.

A three-judge panel of the Superior Court of New Jersey appeared to side with her. The judges reduced the amount granted to Peter and handed the case back to the trial court for additional proceedings.

This is hardly the first time computer monitoring claims have surfaced in marital spats. As previously reported by CNET News.com, a Florida court ruled last year that a wife who installed spyware on her husband's computer to secretly record evidence of an extramarital affair violated state law.

In addition, makers of keyloggers (hardware or software methods of recording keystrokes) are actively marketing their products as ways to expose spousal wrongdoing. KeyGhost's Web site mentions "multimillion-dollar divorce settlements," and the description of BlazingTools Sofware's Perfect Keylogger includes this line: "Are you wondering if your mate is planning a divorce?"

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Jury awards $11.3M over defamatory Internet posts

By Laura Parker, USA TODAY
A Florida woman has been awarded $11.3 million in a defamation lawsuit against a Louisiana woman who posted messages on the Internet accusing her of being a "crook," a "con artist" and a "fraud."

Legal analysts say the Sept. 19 award by a jury in Broward County, Fla. - first reported Friday by the Daily Business Review - represents the largest such judgment over postings on an Internet blog or message board. Lyrissa Lidsky, a University of Florida law professor who specializes in free-speech issues, calls the award "astonishing."

Lidsky says the case could represent a coming trend in court fights over online messages because the woman who won the damage award, Sue Scheff of Weston, Fla., pursued the case even though she knew the defendant, Carey Bock of Mandeville, La., has no hope of paying such an award. Bock, who had to leave her home for several months because of Hurricane Katrina, couldn't afford an attorney and didn't show up for the trial.

"What's interesting about this case is that (Scheff) was so vested in being vindicated, she was willing to pay court costs," Lidsky says. "They knew before trial that the defendant couldn't pay, so what's the point in going to the jury?"

Scheff says she wanted to make a point to those who unfairly criticize others on the Internet. "I'm sure (Bock) doesn't have $1 million, let alone $11 million, but the message is strong and clear," Scheff says. "People are using the Internet to destroy people they don't like, and you can't do that."

The dispute between the two women arose after Bock asked Scheff for help in withdrawing Bock's twin sons from a boarding school in Costa Rica. Bock had disagreed with her ex-husband over how to deal with the boys' behavior problems. Against Bock's wishes, he had sent the boys to the boarding school.

Scheff, who operates a referral service called Parents Universal Resource Experts, says she referred Bock to a consultant who helped Bock retrieve her sons. Afterward, Bock became critical of Scheff and posted negative messages about her on the Internet site Fornits.com, where parents with children in boarding schools for troubled teens confer with one another.

In 2003, Scheff sued Bock for defamation. Bock hired a lawyer, but he left the case when she no longer could afford to pay him.

When Katrina hit in August 2005, Bock's house was flooded and she moved temporarily to Texas before returning to Louisiana last June. Court papers that Scheff and her attorney David H. Pollack mailed to Bock were returned to Pollack's office in Miami.

After Bock didn't offer a defense, a Broward Circuit Court judge found in favor of Scheff. A jury then heard Scheff's arguments about damages. Pollack did not seek a specific amount for the harm he says Scheff's business suffered.

"Even with no opposing counsel and no defendant there, $11 million is a huge amount," says Pollack, adding that Scheff is considering whether to try to collect any money from Bock. "The jury determined this was a significant enough issue. It's not just somebody's feelings are hurt; it's somebody's reputation is ruined."

Bock says that when she moved back to her repaired house over the summer, she knew the trial was approaching but did not know the date. She says she doesn't have the money to pay the judgment or hire a lawyer to appeal it. She adds that if the goal of Scheff's lawsuit was to stifle what Bock says online, it worked.

"I don't feel like I can express my opinions," Bock says. "Only one side of the story was told in court. Nobody heard my side."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

thanks to BETH for this find!

(A note to EOPC's members and readers - first, this case will probably be appealed because TRUTH is a 100% defense to defamation. However, Bock threatened Scheff's BUSINESS and livelyhood - quite different about this site.

We offer those posted a chance to rebutt - we have yet to get any rebuttals. Threats yes, but we hold everyone to the same standard of proof. And mere words do not constitute proof. - Fighter)