Court Rules MySpace Not Responsible For Texas Assault

Austin, Texas (AHN) - A federal court dismissed negligence charges against social hangout MySpace, ruling the site cannot be held responsible for a teen girl's sexual assault by someone she met online.

In her opinion, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Edith Clement Brown wrote Friday the girl and her mother, known as Julie and Jane Doe, cannot sue MySpace for allowing a 19-year-old man to post harassing material.

Brown wrote that ultimately, it was the job of the girl's parents to protect her, not MySpace.

The girl and mother had sued MySpace, claiming the News Corp.-owned company could have prohibited the young girl from registering at the site.