just gotta vent!

[Jill]

Listen to this...I get an email in my inbox yesterday from a member at AOL...(I never saw the screen name, but I believe I know who it is!) it was a VERY bad email saying bad things about me..but the wrost part is that this person claimed to be taking pictures of my daughter without my knowledge...and threatened to hit me if they ever saw me in public....

So I contact AOL who says they cannot do anything...all I can do is forward them the email and they will decide how to handle it....so basically they protect their members, but not the people that members are targeting...

I contact my local police dept...they say how difficult it is to get AOL to relese the name of the person who owns the screen name..they will not realease the name unless they are subpoened to...which usually requires an actual crime taking place...in this case there is no crime per se....(although I am still researching the legality of taking photos of minors without parental consent..and why is that not stalking?)

My PD is working very hard on getting the subpoena but then I hear that once a subpoena is issued to AOL, AOL contacts the member who is being subpoenaed and then they are given 2 weeks to fight the subpoena!!!!!!

Is it just me or is that insane?!?!?!!? So basically if you are an AOL user...you can do whatever you want to anyone and have no action taken against you...nice to know....and my daughter apparently has no rights....

thansk for listening...just wanted to give everyone a heads up...in case something similar ever happens..or is it already has...any tips would be great!!!

[ladyglowrm]

That is just not right. Why on earth would taking pics of a minor NOT be illegal? Hello?

[elizabethlmccoy]

That sounds so scary....hope all works out for the best and you catch the mean person who would do that!!! :eek:

[Jenna]

OMG! Please keep us posted about what happens, this is scary!

[Amanda]

Oh, I'm so sorry Jill! That is horrible!

[Chevellegirl]

A subpoena is a demand for information...I don't see how AOL can contact their member when the member is not the one being subpoenaed. I work for a small police department in Ohio and even our detectives when to internet classes to be able to stop such crimes or at least locate ISP addresses. I wish you much success & I would seriously consider a harassment charge, especially if they threatened bodily harm! I'm not a law enforcement officer, so don't take my word as gospel, but definitely do your homework. Don't think there is anything you can do about pics of minors, since there is no proof (hopefully it's just a bluff). Don't know how your state & local laws are written either. If you can't get any satisfaction from your local law enforcement office, start taking things higher...even to your state representative about AOL's protecting it's members. I'll be praying for you, your family and your safety. In His Precious Name, Lori