144 replies to this topic

[cw68]

The law is the law. And it was placed there to protect parental rights in guiding their children toward a promising future, as well as to give those children equal footing amongst their peers without fear of exploitation by teachers, siblings of peers, and/or co workers at job sites teens often work at that have high turn over rates and poor accountability in hiring practices.

And you are pretty sick or deluded if you cannot see the threat of a 17 year old dating a 21 year old.

I was a high-school graduate for most of my 17th year. I was in college for months at 17. My boyfriend was in college and was 23. We met on a competitive water-skiing team. It was a driving force in both of our lives, a similar interest, we bonded over it. We ended up getting married four years later and were together for nine years. It wasn't sick OR deluded.

There isn't a magic number. 17 doesn't mean sick and 18 magically not sick.

The difference between 41 and 18 is a whole lot greater then 17 and 21. Do you really think they are comparable stories?

No, they are not. Not in the least bit.

[supermom]

To you perhaps you were not sick.

But I see a lot of young girls in relationships with older guys and afterwards they come out bitter. They were taken advantage of.

[supermom]

The difference between 41 and 18 is a whole lot greater then 17 and 21. Do you really think they are comparable stories?

Look at the other story. 16 year old and a 27 year old. Same guy in the story of the 41 and 18 year old. By his behavior he has been grooming 14 year olds for sexual conduct for by meeting them at highschools for many years.

It is predatory.

[cw68]

To you perhaps you were not sick.

But I see a lot of young girls in relationships with older guys and afterwards they come out bitter. They were taken advantage of.

So YOU think I was sick just because of numbers. You're wrong. My parents's marriage was sick too then because my Dad was six years older than my Mom? Their 54-year marriage? Did my Dad take advantage of my Mom? Laughable. Nothing is black and white.

I see a lot of women come out of relationships bitter and blaming the guy. Being taken advantage of isn't limited to age differences either.

I think comparing a 41-year old teacher involved with an 18-year old student to a 17-year old and a 21-year old is histrionics. It is NIGHT and DAY different.

[Rich_T]

It does make a difference to know the ages. When I saw the headline, I (wrongly) assumed that some 40-year-old man was molesting 5-year-olds. Instead, it might well be a 21-year-old with willing 17-year-olds. While that wouldn't make it right, it would not be "child molestation" in my book. Whereas a 21-year-old with younger kids would be.

[2kids4me]

Since it was a "sting", I highly doubt they were using 17-year-olds as bait. I don't know the details, but I'm thinking there is not a lot of room to defend this guy (and his buddy that was arrested with him). We'll see as the details come out, but it doesn't sound too great.

It's too bad, too. My kids swam with him one year, and he was a nice guy. Chatted with him at Red Robin just a few months ago.

[supermom]

There was mention that the other man arrested with him may have been a cop. Has anyone heard anything about that?

[supermom]

So YOU think I was sick just because of numbers. You're wrong. My parents's marriage was sick too then because my Dad was six years older than my Mom? Their 54-year marriage? Did my Dad take advantage of my Mom? Laughable. Nothing is black and white.

I see a lot of women come out of relationships bitter and blaming the guy. Being taken advantage of isn't limited to age differences either.

I think comparing a 41-year old teacher involved with an 18-year old student to a 17-year older and a 21-year old is histrionics. It is NIGHT and DAY different..

I'm not saying that every relationship is predatory. Some are just foolish and breaking the law-therefore wrong.
But many, many times- I have seen young girls taken advantage of. These guys are slimeballs that hang out at highschool functions (many times not even the school they went to) because they want to _ _ _ the _ _ _ _ _ of a girl. If you haven't heard of this, it is a growing segment of a sick and disgusting group of people. They are taking advantage of these girls.

If you son't want to hear it, then so be it. But many moms out there get these little "bad feelings" about a guy that is too old to legally be involved in their daughters life. And, People shouldn't discount that mother's intuition. It stinks that you can't really protect your kids from this stuff. Either you fall prey to a bad relationship or mange to navigate away from those kinds of problems.

[cw68]

I'm not saying that every relationship is predatory. Some are just foolish and breaking the law-therefore wrong.
But many, many times- I have seen young girls taken advantage of. These guys are slimeballs that hang out at highschool functions (many times not even the school they went to) because they want to _ _ _ the _ _ _ _ _ of a girl. If you haven't heard of this, it is a growing segment of a sick and disgusting group of people. They are taking advantage of these girls.

If you son't want to hear it, then so be it. But many moms out there get these little "bad feelings" about a guy that is too old to legally be involved in their daughters life. And, People shouldn't discount that mother's intuition. It stinks that you can't really protect your kids from this stuff. Either you fall prey to a bad relationship or mange to navigate away from those kinds of problems.

It's not that I don't want to hear it; it's that it isn't black and white. I completely agree about intuition and preparing your kids, teaching them "good" relationships from "bad" relationships. I'm going to do that to my kids but it's not going to be based upon a magic number 18.

[supermom]

Anyway, back onto topic-- Here is what this kid is facing in criminal federal charges:


18 USC § 2422 - COERCION AND ENTICEMENT

(a) Whoever knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual to travel in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, to engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.(b) Whoever, using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 10 years or for life.
18 USC § 2252 - CERTAIN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO MATERIAL INVOLVING THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS

(a) Any person who—(1) knowingly transports or ships using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means including by computer or mails, any visual depiction, if—(A) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and(B) such visual depiction is of such conduct;(2) knowingly receives, or distributes, any visual depiction using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or that has been mailed, or has been shipped or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or which contains materials which have been mailed or so shipped or transported, by any means including by computer, or knowingly reproduces any visual depiction for distribution using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or through the mails, if—(A) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and(B) such visual depiction is of such conduct;(3) either—(A) in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or on any land or building owned by, leased to, or otherwise used by or under the control of the Government of the United States, or in the Indian country as defined in section 1151of this title, knowingly sells or possesses with intent to sell any visual depiction; or(B) knowingly sells or possesses with intent to sell any visual depiction that has been mailed, shipped, or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce, or has been shipped or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or which was produced using materials which have been mailed or so shipped or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including by computer, if—(i) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and(ii) such visual depiction is of such conduct; or(4) either—(A) in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or on any land or building owned by, leased to, or otherwise used by or under the control of the Government of the United States, or in the Indian country as defined in section 1151of this title, knowingly possesses, or knowingly accesses with intent to view, 1 or more books, magazines, periodicals, films, video tapes, or other matter which contain any visual depiction; or(B) knowingly possesses, or knowingly accesses with intent to view, 1 or more books, magazines, periodicals, films, video tapes, or other matter which contain any visual depiction that has been mailed, or has been shipped or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or which was produced using materials which have been mailed or so shipped or transported, by any means including by computer, if—(i) the producing of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and(ii) such visual depiction is of such conduct;shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section.(b)(1) Whoever violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a) shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years, but if such person has a prior conviction under this chapter, section 1591, chapter 71section 1591, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the laws of any State relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, or abusive sexual conduct involving a minor or ward, or the production, possession, receipt, mailing, sale, distribution, shipment, or transportation of child pornography, or sex trafficking of children, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 15 years nor more than 40 years.(2) Whoever violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, paragraph (4) of subsection (a) shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both, but if such person has a prior conviction under this chapter, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the laws of any State relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, or abusive sexual conduct involving a minor or ward, or the production, possession, receipt, mailing, sale, distribution, shipment, or transportation of child pornography, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 10 years nor more than 20 years.© Affirmative Defense.— It shall be an affirmative defense to a charge of violating paragraph (4) of subsection (a) that the defendant—(1) possessed less than three matters containing any visual depiction proscribed by that paragraph; and(2) promptly and in good faith, and without retaining or allowing any person, other than a law enforcement agency, to access any visual depiction or copy thereof—<a name="c_2_A" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 92, 114); ">(A) took reasonable steps to destroy each such visual depiction; or(B) reported the matter to a law enforcement agency and afforded that agency access to each such visual depiction.

[Redone]

It does make a difference to know the ages. When I saw the headline, I (wrongly) assumed that some 40-year-old man was molesting 5-year-olds. Instead, it might well be a 21-year-old with willing 17-year-olds. While that wouldn't make it right, it would not be "child molestation" in my book. Whereas a 21-year-old with younger kids would be.

Even 17 year olds, meeting at a Motel ?

Creepy

[4thgenFolsomite]

Even 17 year olds, meeting at a Motel ?

Creepy

well, they'd have to be that old. 8 year olds can't drive.

I know its a serious subject, sorry.

[2kids4me]

I'm pretty sure an adult took them to the motel, so they were probably not of driving age.