757upspilot

Only when you walk down a dark alley without your gun

FXDX

Yeah, worry about the perp, not the potential victims and/or their families.

You've got all the right priorities there Dan.


God help us.

Sideshow Bob

What this guy has waiting for him in prison will be a just reward.

Whistlin' Dan

You are absolutely correct. I was trying to make the distinction between this situation and that of a trusted adult leader such as a teacher, Scout leader, or Clergyman, who entices a minor into a sexual act. The courts tend to come down pretty hard on the perps in those situations, and rightfully so.

If you followed the "To Catch a Predator" series on TV, you know that the sentences handed down to guys convicted of similar charges ranged from 5 years (mostly in the "Goober States") to probation (primarily on the west coast). Prosecutors in Texas found the process by which these guys were rounded-up so flawed and fraught with legal inconsistencies that the charges against them were dropped altogether. I have a suspicion that this case will fall somewhere in the middle, perhaps supervised probation and diversion with sex-offender registry for a certain number of years.

I am not defending what this person is alleged to have done, simply suggesting that a little moderation might be in order here. Remember, many courts have ruled that sex between two people, when one is intoxicated, cannot be consensual either, even when the instigator (usually, but not always, the male) are themselves intoxicated as well. With that in mind, how many of us would like to have certain events from our own lives, perhaps our military or college days, replayed in a public forum such as this?

Whistlin' Dan

Whatever leads you to believe that I'm not "worried about the potential victim or their families?"

If I were the worrying kind, I would be far more worried about teen-agers falling prey to motor-vehicle accidents, disease, or firearms, in approximately that order. According to statistics complied by the US Government, those three activities kill far, far more young people than "sex." If you're truly worried about "victims" you'll need to bring those three factors under control, and since cars and driving serve a useful purpose for many teens, that leaves only 1) access to affordable health care and; 2) gun control as a way to cut teen-age deaths.

I do appreciate your concern, and welcome your support in correcting the problems facing our youth. Which one of the above would you like to tackle first?

NVSS - Mortality Data

FDXLAG

So if we outlaw cars and guns you will let us start prosecuting the perverts? Thanks.

As far as affordable health care please name one child in one state that is not eligible for some sort of state sponsored healthcare.

Whistlin' Dan

That's not what I said. What I said was that we should consider the impact, both to society as well as the victim, of one's illegal actions when weighing the punishment for those actions.

How big of a problem are "middle-aged men responding to online come-ons by underage girls?" Not that big of a problem, IMHO. When minors do solicit adults for sex, it's usually the result of a kid who has been sexualized at an early age, and taught to use sexual favors as a means of getting something else, such as money, privilige, or status. By necessity, these kids operate with little or no adult supervision, and their "enjoyment" of sex doesn't even factor into the equasion. (A very high percentage of women working in "Adult Entertainment" were sexually abused as kids, and a similarly high percentage wind up with drug/alcohol problems, or as suicides)

If you want to pillory a really bad person, look to the parents, or more specifically, to the adult who sexualized the kid in the first place. Taking guys off the street who exploit these damaged kids is a start, but it won't cure the problem because it didn't cause the problem.

So what about adults, especially those in positions of authority, who use that authority to sexualize children at an early age? That's a very different problem (see second paragraph) and one that calls for vigorous intervention by law enforcement. They're scum, and largely unredeemable.

Then there are the sexual predators and would-be predators. They don't sexualize minors, but they're not above taking advantage of minors who are already sexualized. Think "a guy who finds a wallet, but doesn't return it to it's owner" For actual, additional harm to society and to their "victims" I would give them a score of "2" and sentence them accordingly. For self-delusion, harm to their friends, family, and employer, and general cluelessness in the ways romance and sexual attraction, I would give them a "9" and wish them luck in explaining their circumstances to those mentioned.

BTW - I still think Traci Lords first Penthouse photo-shoot was hot, even if she was underage. Does that make me a would-be predator?

jungle

NAMBLA member?

FDXLAG

Why dont you google Justin Bloxom and tell me which parent to blame.

Freightpuppy

Dude, I just googled that. All I have to say is....

Whoa!