Thread for things that blew your mind today.

[Tgo01]

You must not have read the article describing what happened. She lied about her age, saying she was 17. At his sentencing both she and her mom spoke out against making him a sex offender, which the judge ignored because of some kind of apparent moral crusade.

I did read the article but that's why consent laws such as this exist, to protect people that society has deemed to be vulnerable. In this case no and yes both mean no, and for good reason. I think it would be a dangerous precedent to set that people could avoid being charged with a crime as long as the victim speaks on the defendant's behalf.

I also think the person who wrote that article misunderstood this quote of the judge:

"You went online…trolling for women to meet and have sex with. That seems to be part of our culture now: meet, hook up, have sex, sayonara. Totally inappropriate behavior. There is no excuse for this, whatsoever."

The author took it to mean "You wanted to meet women for sex. You're scum."

To me the judge is saying people are so concerned with having "the sex" these days that they don't even bother to get to know the person first anymore. Which is fine. If that's the way you want to do things who am I to stop you? But then you should be prepared to pay the consequences if it turns out that 19 year old woman you had sex with last night was really a 14 year old girl. You didn't want to bother to get to know them first to make sure they are at least 18 then you pay the price afterwards. I think that's what the judge meant by "There is no excuse for this." The man was looking to place the blame on the girl for lying about her age.

I have more sympathy for these men if they meet these underage girls in a club where you have to be at least 18 to enter or meet them at a bar. At least there is a reasonable belief that they might actually be of age. But anyone can create an online profile and claim they are 18. If you don't take the time to gauge their real age then that should be on you.

[Tgo01]

Try reading the article.

I did read the article. You don't get to break the law then get away with it because the victim is willing to take the blame. How upside down would that turn our justice system?

[Androidpk]

I did read the article. You don't get to break the law then get away with it because the victim is willing to take the blame. How upside down would that turn our justice system?

It isn't like the kid was out prowling for underage girls. She lied about her age, even admitted it. Why should he be at fault?

[Tgo01]

It isn't like the kid was out prowling for underage girls. She lied about her age, even admitted it. Why should he be at fault?

Because what if she didn't lie about her age? What if she admitted to being 13 but the guy had sex with her anyways? What if this whole "I lied about my age" wasn't until after the fact? What if the guy threatened her into telling the judge she was lying in order to escape being prosecuted?

This is exactly why statutory laws exist, to prevent exactly this sort of shenanigans. You had sex with an underage girl, you're guilty.

Same reason prisoners can't consent to sex. What if the prison guard threatened the inmate to have sex, then when the relationship was uncovered the guard then threatened the inmate to say it was consensual, then the abuse continued since it was now "consensual"? That's why the law says no, you get caught having sex with an inmate, no matter what, you are being charged with a crime.

[Androidpk]

She also violated the TOS on Hot or Not by lying about her age.

[Tgo01]

She also violated the TOS on Hot or Not by lying about her age.

Okay then, Hot or Not can go after her for that then. It has nothing to do with the guy having sex with her.

[Androidpk]

Okay then, Hot or Not can go after her for that then. It has nothing to do with the guy having sex with her.

It has everything to do with it.

[Taernath]

I have more sympathy for these men if they meet these underage girls in a club where you have to be at least 18 to enter or meet them at a bar.

People get into bars with fake IDs all the time. If someone lying about their age isn't a valid exemption to you, simply being in a bar shouldn't be one either.

[Taernath]

Because what if she didn't lie about her age? What if she admitted to being 13 but the guy had sex with her anyways? What if this whole "I lied about my age" wasn't until after the fact? What if the guy threatened her into telling the judge she was lying in order to escape being prosecuted?

This is exactly why statutory laws exist, to prevent exactly this sort of shenanigans. You had sex with an underage girl, you're guilty.

Same reason prisoners can't consent to sex. What if the prison guard threatened the inmate to have sex, then when the relationship was uncovered the guard then threatened the inmate to say it was consensual, then the abuse continued since it was now "consensual"? That's why the law says no, you get caught having sex with an inmate, no matter what, you are being charged with a crime.

I don't think your What If scenarios are enough to cast any reasonable doubt on their story.

[Tgo01]

It has everything to do with it.

I don't see how the girl breaking a TOS agreement with a third party has anything to do with the statutory rape claim.

People get into bars with fake IDs all the time. If someone lying about their age isn't a valid exemption to you, simply being in a bar shouldn't be one either.

It's still not a valid excuse, I was just saying I can see how one might be more inclined to believe the girl was of age because most people wouldn't think they got in there with a fake ID or anything. It's much easier to believe some random girl just created a fake profile on an app then to believe a 13 year old girl has a fake ID.

I don't think your What If scenarios are enough to cast any reasonable doubt on their story.

But that's why statutory/consent laws exist the way they do, there is no need to prove any of that happened.