AUSTIN, Texas, June 20, 2006
Girl Sues MySpace Over Sexual Assault
$30M Lawsuit Says Web Site Didn't Protect Her From Another Member
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Play CBS Video Video Teens And MySpace Only On The Web: Teenagers talk candidly about what they're really doing on MySpace and how they protect themselves from online predators.
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Video New MySpace.com Safety Rules Hannah Storms speaks to Parry Aftab, executive director of wiredsafety.org, who offers insight into MySpace.com's new safety measures to protect teens online.
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(CBS/AP)
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Photo Essay MySpace Is Your Space Satisfy your voyeuristic urges and get a glimpse inside MySpace.
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Interactive Protecting Children Online What to say to your child about Web porn and online predators, and how to look for signs of porn on your PC. Plus: warning signs that an adult may be communicating with your child.
The girl says a 19-year-old man lied in his profile about being a senior on a football team to gain her trust and phone number.
Pete Solis was arrested in May on a charge of sexual assault of a child. He could not immediately be reached Monday evening.
The suit alleges that MySpace has "absolutely no meaningful protections or security measures to protect underage users."
"(MySpace) has got to take this seriously," said attorney Carl Barry, who is representing the girl and her mother. The suit seeks $30 million.
In a statement, MySpace said it is committed to the safety of its members.
"We take aggressive measures to protect our members," said Hemanshu Nigam, chief security officer. "Ultimately, Internet safety is a shared responsibility. We encourage everyone on the Internet to engage in smart Web practices and have open family dialogue about how to apply offline lessons in the online world."
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