Anonymous has turned its attention to Maryville, Mo., where a small-town rape scandal isn’t resulting in the justice they feel a teenage girl deserves. Anonymous Vows Action in Daisy Coleman Rape Case “There’s a multitude of anons and angry people planning a course of action as we speak for Maryville,” said Deric Lostutter, aka RealKYAnonymous. If the Maryville authorities won’t “do their jobs,” the hacktivist’s boldly declares on behalf of one young victim, “we will have to stand for them.” “We demand an immediate investigation into the handling by local authorities of Daisy’s case,” his statement reads, referring to Daisy Coleman. Just 14 at the time, she was drunk when high school football player Matthew Barnett, then 17, allegedly sexually assaulted her last year at a house party. Lostutter, who played instrumental role in Anonymous’ crusade in the much-publicized Steubenville rape case , added, “We are watching. Always.” The saga began in January, when Barnett told police he had sex with Coleman, whom witnesses described as incoherent, local station KCUR writes. Barnett said the sex was consensual, but Coleman’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.13 seven hours after she had reportedly had her last drink. Coleman was then reportedly abandoned in the front yard of her home, where she passed out for three hours in sub-freezing winter temperatures. After Coleman’s mother found her and called 911, the girl was brought to St. Francis Hospital, where doctors discovered vaginal tears, reports indicate. Barnett was initially charged with felony sexual assault, but that charge was later dropped by Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice, who cited a “lack of proof.” Coleman was subsequently bullied at school, and her mother lost her job, prompting the family to move to a new town 40 miles away for a fresh start. Still, Coleman is reportedly scarred by what happened: She has attempted suicide and spent three months living at a home for troubled teens. Anonymous got involved after The Kansas City Star published a 4,000-word report on how Barnett and a friend had sex with two underage girls. The report, which stemmed from seven months of investigating, shot to the top of Reddit on Sunday, where readers across the country weighed in. Lostutter, who is under federal investigation for his alleged role in hacking the Steubenville football team’s website, posted a call to action on Facebook. On Monday, YourAnonNews – one of the most influential Anonymous Twitter accounts – began publicizing the issue to the collective’s 1.1 million followers. Lostutter said Anonymous is planning protests and a “media storm” to publicize the issue. They are already pushing #OpMaryville and #Justice4Daisy. Last year, Anonymous obtained and published a small trove of photos, videos and messages that helped convict football players in a similar case in Steubenville, Ohio. Whether they are successful in achieving their stated goals in this case – and the lengths they will go to in order to do so – remains to be seen.
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Daisy Coleman Bullied at School After Making Rape Allegation; Anonymous Vows Payback
