MediaPost reports that Verizon Wireless is being sued by the parents of a Connecticut teen who was assaulted by a man she met after accessing the Web through a cell phone:

"The parents, who purchased four cell phones from Verizon in 2005, allege that their 14-year-old daughter downloaded a program to one of the phones that enabled her to post an online profile and participate in various chat rooms. The following year, she was allegedly assaulted on two occasions by a 30-year-old man she met via mobile social networking."

According to the report, the parents accused Verizon Wireless of manufacturing an unreasonably dangerous product and failing to warn them that users could connect to the Web from the phones. "Unbeknownst to the plaintiffs," they alleged in the suit, "the defendant's cellular service plan allowed any cell phone user to 'self subscribe' to the internet through the cellular telephone." Verizon has declined to comment, saying that they can't discuss pending litigation.