SAN ANTONIO – There is a website where people can post the most vicious rumors and lies about others along with photos. They can trash their neighbors anonymously.
The site is called "The Dirty" and it has had an effect on those posted on the site, including San Antonio Real Estate Broker Ellie Rios.
Recently she found buyer Jason Sosa a bargain of a house on the Northwest side.
"It needs a little bit of TLC but they dropped the price to $99,000," Rios told Sosa. She showed him upstairs and down hoping this house could become a home for him.
Despite her professional status, someone has anonymously posted rumors about her as well as her pictures on the website "The Dirty."
On the site, Rios has been called a prostitute who has half naked pictures and that she has been taking cashing for sex.
"You should not be allowed to call somebody a prostitute," Rios said. "Prostitution is against the law, it's a crime."
Others have defended her on the website, posting such things as "leave Ellie alone," and "why don't y'all get a life."
"When they had first put me on there, because I've been on there eight times, that's how much I have an impact," Rios said. "I have an impact on people."
A police sergeant has even been featured there along with various other people.
Defamation Attorney Mark Canaan said the website itself is legal.
"That's called free speech and it's protected by the first amendment," Canaan said.
He said the website simply provides a platform and that it is the anonymous people who have posted who face the chance of being sued for defamation.
Recently, a Texas couple won a more than $13 million dollar judgment in a defamation case.
Someone online anonymously accused them of sexual assault.
The wife had to close her hair salon and the husband lost business as an attorney.
They sued and got the website to release the list of those posting. But it was not easy.
"The difficulty is going through the service provider to break through that shield of anonymity," Canaan said.
Rios now has her own attorney and plans to fight these attacks for her and other victims.
Freedom of speech does not protect libelous statements, which include hurtful lies spread on the internet. Those spreading those lies can be sued for damages.