Accident – death – Obituary News :

Lawsuit Against Social Media Platforms Withdrawn, Continues Against Snapchat

The lawsuit filed against social media platforms for their alleged role in the exploitation of a young girl has been withdrawn against Meta Platforms Inc., while it continues against Snapchat. The offenders reportedly contacted the girl through social media sites, leading to a traumatic experience. The couple’s lawyer, Michael Kennedy, confirmed the withdrawal in Waterbury Superior Court, but due to a confidentiality agreement, he was unable to provide further details.

However, Kennedy expressed confidence in the claims against Snapchat and stated that they will be proceeding with those claims. The strength of the claims, according to Kennedy, lies with Snapchat rather than Meta Platforms Inc., which did not respond to requests for comment. Pete Boogaard, a spokesman for Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, previously stated that “Exploitation of any kind is unacceptable on our platform” and highlighted the company’s efforts to work with safety experts and law enforcement to combat such incidents.

Lawsuit Challenged by Snapchat’s Legal Team

Lawyers representing Snapchat are planning to request the dismissal of the lawsuit against the social media site. Among their arguments is that the lawsuit is barred by Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which provides immunity for online computer services regarding third-party content generated by users. However, the lawsuit claims that Snapchat specifically targets children and teenagers with its programming, enabling their exploitation.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from Snap Inc. as well as the two convicted rapists involved in the case. One of them is a former New Haven police officer. The incident occurred in July 2019 when a 12-year-old girl was contacted by a man on Snapchat, later identified as Reginald Sharp, a convicted sex offender. Despite being informed of the girl’s age, Sharp convinced her to send him nude photographs and threatened to post them on social media if she did not meet him.

Tragically, the girl agreed to meet Sharp, and he proceeded to repeatedly rape her. Sharp was subsequently identified and arrested by the police. In December 2019, he pleaded guilty to several charges, including first-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, enticing a minor, and violation of parole, resulting in a 20-year prison sentence followed by 20 years of special parole.

Second Incident Involving Former Police Officer

In October 2021, another incident involving a former New Haven police officer came to light. The victim’s mother reported to a resource officer at Stratford High School that her daughter had been sexually assaulted by an older man. The man was identified as Edward “Eddie” Rodriguez, who was on probation for sexually assaulting a teenage girl in West Haven. The victim initially contacted Rodriguez on Snapchat and agreed to meet him before school.

Rodriguez sexually assaulted the victim in his car before driving her to school. The victim later identified Rodriguez as the perpetrator from a police photo array. In 2023, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault, illegal sexual contact, and violating his prior probation, resulting in a 10-year prison sentence.

Impact on the Victim and Lawsuit Allegations

The lawsuit describes the victim as a once “happy and outgoing child” who enjoyed school and spending time with family and friends. However, at the age of 12, after opening Facebook and Snapchat accounts, her personality changed, and she began to struggle in school. The lawsuit claims that the platforms exposed her to bullying and predators.

The victim’s parents attempted to restrict her access to these platforms, but she managed to open new accounts without their knowledge. The suit alleges that Meta’s Instagram product was designed in a way that made it difficult to identify the abusers, leading to their exploitation going unreported. The distressing situation ultimately led the victim to attempt suicide in December 2018.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from Snap Inc. and the convicted rapists, holding them responsible for the traumatic experiences endured by the victim. The case against Snapchat will proceed, as the plaintiff’s legal team believes the platform played a significant role in the exploitation.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The information presented here is not legal advice and should not be interpreted as such.

.