Italian prosecutors seek jail for Google execs

Teenager was bullied by four students in front of more than a dozen others who did not intervene.

Italian prosecutors sought six-month to a year sentences for four Google executives Wednesday over an Internet video showing the bullying of a teenager with Down's Syndrome, the company said.

The four executives have been on trial in a Milan court over the video, which prosecutors argue Google had a legal responsibility to prevent being shown.

In the video, uploaded using a Google video site where it remained for nearly two months in late 2006, the teenager was bullied by four students in front of more than a dozen others who did not intervene.

- One year has been requested for three executives - a Google Italy spokeswoman said, adding six months had been urged for the fourth company official on trial.

A verdict in the trial is expected on December 23, the spokeswoman said. Wednesday's hearing was closed to the public.

The maximum sentence for such charges -- complicity in defamation and harm to private life -- is three years in prison.

The Google executives on trial are David Carl Drummond, the head of Google Italy's managing board at the time; George De Los Reyes, a board member who has since quit; Peter Fleitcher, in charge of privacy protection in Europe; and Arvind Desikan, head of videos for Europe.

Prosecutors sought the six-month sentence for Desikan.