An American mother was indicted on Thursday in connection with a MySpace hoax that ended with a 13-year-old girl committing suicide after being spurned by a fictitious boy.

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted Lori Drew (49) on criminal charges of conspiracy and accessing MySpace computers "without authorisation to inflict emotional distress on the girl".

"This adult woman used the internet to target an innocent girl with horrendous consequences," Los Angeles US Attorney Thomas O'Brien said during a press conference announcing the indictment.

"Any adult who uses the internet or a social networking website to bully another person, particularly a vulnerable teenage girl, should realise this has serious consequences."

Drew was among several adults who pretended to be a 16-year-old boy named "Josh" on MySpace, according to prosecutors. The girl met "Josh" in the online community after she opened her MySpace account in 2006.

"Within days Josh was telling her she was sexy," O'Brien said. "The flirting continued for three weeks."

Josh broke off the virtual relationship and sent the girl a message saying the world would be better off without her, according to prosecutors. Within an hour of receiving the message the girl hanged herself in her bedroom.

Drew and "co-conspirators" used her home computer to chat with the girl on MySpace and gleaned from online exchanges to "torment, harass, humiliate and embarrass" the girl, according to the indictment.

"MySpace does not tolerate cyber-bullying and is cooperating fully with the US Attorney in this matter," MySpace said in a written reply to an AFP inquiry.

Drew deleted the "Josh" profile from MySpace after getting word that the girl, a neighbour, hanged herself, according to prosecutors.

"This adult hid behind cyber walls in cyber space," Los Angeles FBI assistant director Salvador Hernandez said during the press conference.

"Whether the defendant could see the ramifications of this choice she is accountable for what happened. These actions are cruel and unjustified."

Each of the four criminal counts listed in the indictment carries a maximum prison term of five years.

AFP