MySpace Sued by 14-Year-Old for Enabling Sexual Assault

MySpace.com was sued on Monday by a 14-year-old girl who claims to have been sexually assaulted by another MySpace user, on grounds that the super-popular social networking site does not offer the proper safety measures to protect its underage users, the Associated Press reports via HoustonChronicle.com.

The girl claims that 19-year-old Pete Solis falsely identified himself as a member of a local high school football team before she provided him with a phone number, according to the Chronicle.

Solis was taken into police custody in May and charged with sexual assault involving a minor, and he could not be reached for comment on Monday, the Chronicle reports.

The suit filed by the 14-year-old female and her mother charges MySpace with having “absolutely no meaningful protections or security measures to protect underage users,” according to the Chronicle.

The girl and her mother are seeking $30 million in damages, the Chronicle reports.

Hemanshu Nigam, MySpace chief security officer, issued the following statement: “We take aggressive measures to protect our members. Ultimately, Internet security 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,” according to the Chronicle.

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