The shocking case of Megan Meier, the 13-year-old girl who committed suicide after a big disappointment with what she thought to be a 16-year-old MySpace user, finally reached the court and it will be handled by U.S. District Court Judge George Wu starting July 29.

Lori Drew, a 49-year-old neighbor of Megan, is accused of creating a MySpace account, apparently belonging to a 16-year-old boy, Josh Evans. She used the profile to get in touch with the unsuspecting girl and start an online chatting relationship. At a certain point, the girl started receiving brutal and heartless messages, including one saying that the world would be a better place without her. Not long after that, Megan hanged herself in her bedroom closet.

An investigation had been undergoing for over a year now, but prosecutors had not been able to press any charges in Lori Drew’s case, as her role in the hoax did not appear to break any criminal law. However, the prosecutors charged Lori Drew with one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization for information used to emotionally distress the girl. For each of the four counts the maximum possible penalty that Lori Drew can receive is of five years in prison.

Drew’s lawyer stated that the penalties are considerably harsh and also the charges unfounded therefore he will surely challange them.

During the proceeding which lasted for just a few minutes, the woman pleaded not guilty to all charges and was set free until the trial on a $20,000 bond.

The trial is expected to break new ground in Internet laws, as such a case proved to have no specific procedures to be handled with and the trial and its outcome will surely be refered to for any future similar incidents.