Nitefrater

You really ARE a piece of work...

The usual advice is that when you find yourself in a hole you've dug for yourself - STOP DIGGING!

But, in your case, go right ahead.

Freightpuppy

I suggest castration.

Whistlin' Dan

I am NOT "defending" a pedophile. What I am defending is every citizens right to the presumption of innocence, his or her right to confront their accusers in a court of law, and their right, if convicted, to a fair and reasonable punishment. These are rights granted to us in our Constitution, rights that you affirm every time you pledge allegiance to our flag. These are also rights that those of you who served in the military (as I did) swore to uphold and defend.

I'm still defending them, that's all.And if you think those conditions are to be found primarily in cities in "non-goober" states, then you have not looked very closely either. There's a direct correlation between every one of the characteristics you named and the number of those in the community living below the poverty line;

Percent below poverty level (most recent) by state

Kentucky is listed 7th on the list, behind (among others) West Virginia, Arkansas, Louisana, and Mississippi. That, and the popularity of their "Creation Museum" are all the proof of Gooberism I need.The "girl" said she was 14, which puts her off-limits under Kentucky law. But if I were on the jury, I'd want to see her contributions to the chat log before I made a determination as to whether or not she was a "child"

jungle

"How big of a problem are "middle-aged men responding to online come-ons by underage girls?" Not that big of a problem, IMHO.'"


Dan
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Gooberism seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Some of us are not too impressed with fashionable forays into pedophillia. Nobody is suggesting denial of the right to a fair trial, but one of us is suggesting that perhaps the crime should be tolerated, "as not that big of a problem".

The idea that poor people are on a lower moral plane than you is an amusing idea too. What you see as a scourge of poverty is really one of culture and it exists in both the richest and poorest countries on earth. What you see as gooberism is perhaps more of a cultural result than a financial result.
The "non-goober" is perhaps the most culturally and morally bankrupt of all.

It is really pretty simple. Keep your hands off the family and property of others and most of us can get along just fine.

FDXLAG

The indictment or formal charge against any person is not evidence of guilt. Indeed, the person is presumed by the law to be innocent. The law does not require a person to prove his innocence or produce any evidence at all. The Government has the burden of proving a person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and if it fails to do so the person is (so far as the law is concerned) not guilty.

Legal Definition of 'Innocence, Presumption Of'

The government has the obligation to presume innocence. You and I are free to presume what we like.

Whistlin' Dan

That'll work for me!

I presume that any police officer posing as a young woman soliciting sex on the internet is knowledgable about exactly what to say to elicit a positive response from his mark. I further presume that in the event they do not receive a positive response, they raise the ante in ways that might tempt a person who would not normally consider committing such an act, to consider it.

I presume that the individual charged in this is a responsible professional and family man, knowledgable that the law prohibits sexual contact with one who is underage. I presume that because he is neither a lawyer nor a pedophile, he had no knowledge that attempting to arrange such an act was, in itself, a violation of the law. I further presume that his professional standing is evidence that he has never been charged with a crime, is largely ignorant of the criminal justice system, and was coerced into writing a "letter of apology." I presume that he is somewhat socially inept and/or going through some difficult times in his personal life, and had no intention of following through with this act.

Lastly, I presume that any state that has the 7th highest rate of inhabitants living below the poverty line or on government aid has an equally high rate of illiteracy. I presume that those inhabitants, while serving on a jury, may lack the ability to differentiate between the actions of a "true" pedophile and the complex nature of the exchange between this man and the police officer.

I like presuming! It's kind of like "deductive reasoning," only without the "deduction" or the "reasoning!"

MX727

I presume he did it, because he said he did.

He confessed, there is no burden of proof.

jungle

Federal indictment with multiple charges and a confession of intent and action.
The only question remaining is: Who is the goober in this picture?

Green Giant

I wanted to think he was not guilty because of how I have always known him. But when I found out he wrote a letter to the mother.........well isn't that a confession?

pilotmiketx

I would just like to point out to anyone who isn't already aware that there are no underage girls on the internets. Just doods and cops. And Chris Hansen.

Also, just a slight technicality here, but pedophilia per se is a sexual attraction to prepubescent people. Most, if not all 14 year olds are decidedly not prepubescent. I know this because I had a 14 year old girlfriend once. And it was good. Yes, I was also 14.