The two teens had been exchanging messages for about six weeks, but Evans's messages had grown steadily more hostile. According to reports, his last message to Meier was that she was "cruel" and a "bad person."

Dramatic Turn of Events

But then the case took a dramatic twist. It turned out that "Josh Evans" did not exist -- he was allegedly the invention of a woman named Lori Drew, the mother of another girl with whom Meier had been fighting. Law enforcement authorities contend that Drew created the online profile to communicate with and harass Meier online.

After discovering that "Josh Evans" was a fake profile, state and federal prosecutors searched for a law under which to charge Drew, but were unable to find one that fit the circumstances of the case.

Outraged by the absence of a law to punish the harassment of Meier, some Dardenne Prairie residents have meted out their own justice. According to reports from the Los Angeles Times, a wide range of personal information about the Drew family -- including photos, their home and e-mail addresses, and their home phone number -- has been posted on the Internet.

Some residents have even held protests on the sidewalk in front of the Drew home. In response, the Drews have installed surveillance equipment on their property.

New Law Adopted

Just last week, however, the community's Board of Alderman passed a new law that makes cyberbullying a crime. It is now a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 and 90 days in jail, to harass someone over the Internet.

Harassment is defined under the law as causing a reasonable person to suffer "substantial emotional distress." It also covers communications by an adult to a child under the age of 18 that would cause a reasonable parent to fear for the child's well-being. The law applies to many different types of electronic communications, including e-mail, instant messaging, and texting between mobile phones.

Around the country, many other communities and states have either adopted similar laws or are considering them. A Vermont law requiring school districts to adopt policies prohibiting cyberbullying, for instance, was passed after a 13-year-old boy also committed suicide in the wake of harassing instant messages. The boy's father, John Halligan, has become an advocate for the passage of cyberbullying laws across the nation.

Online services like MySpace and Facebook typically have explicit prohibitions against electronic harassment and encourage their users to report instances of cyberbullying. States have been slow to adopt the proposed legislation, however, largely due to concerns over the impact of free speech.