I live in Dallas, and we recently had 2 Police officers arrested for soliciting sex from what they thought was a 14 yr old girl. I thought it was one of those rare sick things. Then they showed a band teacher on the news who did the same thing, and now we've got the Press Secretarty of homeland security doing it too? These are people who have a lot of influence within the community & government. It seems like everyone wants to molest children these days. \nA friend of mine told me they believe this is just the begining. They pointed out the fact that we also have quite a few female school teachers who have been caught haveing sex with their under aged male students. My friend said "I wouldn't be surprized if in the future, society just gives up & lowers the legal age of sexual consent to 12 or 14. Seems shocking, but possible. \nWhat are opinions regarding this whole issue?
214840
I don't think it is a new phenomenon. I think it just gets talked about more these days. \nIn the past people were more afraid of coming forward and reporting abuse because of social stigmas. Now people are a lot more understanding for the victim. I think this is evidenced by the huge number of cases that have come out in recent years here in Australia which date back 30 - 40 years. Grown men have finally found the courage to come forth and talk about what heppened to them without being themselves labelled as "gay" or "dirty".
394680
Reba K –\n\nThe “Bush's top evangelical yesterday who uses gay prostitutes,…” you mention is the person he asked the question about.\n\nAnd Teresa A –\n\nThe dems certainly have their share of faults, but conservatives seem to have a lock on hypocrisy, and that is hard ot deny:\n\nSTOP REPUBLICAN PEDOPHILIA\n\n•Republican Congressman Mark Foley abruptly resigned from Congress after "sexually explicit" emails surfaced showing him flirting with a 16-year old boy. \n\n•Republican executive Randall Casseday of the conservative Washington Times newspaper was arrested for soliciting sex from a 13-year old girl on the internet. \n\n•Republican chairman of the Oregon Christian Coalition Lou Beres confessed to molesting a 13-year old girl. \n\n•Republican County Constable Larry Dale Floyd was arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex with an 8-year old girl. Floyd has repeatedly won elections for Denton County, Texas, constable. \n\n•Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. \n\n•Republican Party leader Bobby Stumbo was arrested for having sex with a 5-year old boy. \n\n•Republican petition drive manager Tom Randall pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 14, one of them the daughter of an associate in the petition business. \n\n•Republican County Chairman Armando Tebano was arrested for sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl. \n\n•Republican teacher and former city councilman John Collins pleaded guilty to sexually molesting 13 and 14 year old girls. \n\n•Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester. \n\n•Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls. \n\n•Republican Mayor Tom Adams was arrested for distributing child pornography over the internet. \n\n•Republican Mayor John Gosek was arrested on charges of soliciting sex from two 15-year old girls. \n\n•Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. \n\n•Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17. \n\n•Republican Committeeman John R. Curtain was charged with molesting a teenage boy and unlawful sexual contact with a minor. \n\n•Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida. \n\n•Republican zoning supervisor, Boy Scout leader and Lutheran church president Dennis L. Rader pleaded guilty to performing a sexual act on an 11-year old girl he murdered. \n\n•Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor. \n\n•Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. \n\n•Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child. \n\n•Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile. \n\n•Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl. \n\n•Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer was sentenced to six years in prison for molesting two 8-year old girls, one of whom appeared in an anti-Gore television commercial. \n\n•Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s. \n\n•Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s. \n\n•Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty
577778
Unfortunately men are perceived as more aggressive, even brutal sometimes when it comes to sexual gratification. Some really sick men even have sex with the dead. Women on the other hand are seen as 'weaker' vessels? So they are given the benefit of the doubt ...maybe she was 'over powered' ! The circumstances of each case differs of course . I doubt whether such molestations from women were ever envisaged. But I agree with you its disgusting whoever does it. As the frequency of arrests mounts for women the existing laws that do not adequately address the issue would definitely have to be amended. I know there are no separate laws for men and women. But by the judges shed their personal prejudices and be bold enough to apply punishment across board evenly.
638239
I have no background in Michigan law, only Illinois,  but the underlying concepts are similar in general.\n\nWhen both of the parties involved, the perpetrator and the victim, are in their teens, the authorities don't look so harshly on this as if the guy were 40, say. So they take what is essentially Statutory Rape, and soften it down to something like "sexual delinquency", or as you write, "sexual misconduct".\n\nThe guy will probably get into more trouble because of his parole violation, than for this minor sexual peccadillo.That could mean some jail time. \n\nThere are also usually some kinds of counseling that kids can be sent to, involving family and sex responsibilities. \n\nSMWAM is vague--any kind of sexual, oral, or other intimate contact could be included, with or without the girl's consent. Since she is underage, her consent is irrelevant; even if she was a willing participant, sex is not supposed to happen between persons on opposite sides of the age of majority. \n\nAnd different states define that age differently--maybe 21, maybe 18, maybe 16. A flaw of our laws is that there is no national standard for :"At what age is someone a full adult"? For tobacco there's one age; for alohol there's another; for sex, still another; for military service or voting another, etc. etc.
78211
Okay . . . nice trick question.\n\nThe 21 yo is sexually attracted to a 13 yo.\n\nIf the 21 yo does nothing and waits until the 13 yo reaches majority (18) in 5 years . . . the 21 yo is not a Pedophile . . . (sick maybe, but not a pedophile).\n\nIf the 21 yo does do something sexually with the 13 yo before the 13 yo reaches majority . ..  then legally the 21 yo is a pedophile.\n\nDoesn't matter if the 13 yo goes up to the 21 yo or not . . . if the 21 yo does something they are a pedophile . . . if the 21 yo does not do anything . . . then they are not.
228899
No it should not be legal. But the way our judicial system is going I am sure it will be soon. They keep lowering the legal sex age in different states. Kinda makes you wonder about our wonderful law makers, and lobbyists.
53069
I think that it is absolutely disguisting!!! As a matter of fact, I have a personal experience because of myspace involving my mom's friend's daughter, who is now 13. She met some guy off of there, thinking that he was a 15 year old little boy, and was sexually assaulted and raped because of it... That's sad, yes... We just finished court with that and he is now serving 2 life sentences for 2 different rapes and 200+ counts of child pornography, but I agree with some of the other people here... \n\nIt is definitely the parents' responsibility to watch and monitor their child's actions on the computer, but if they choose not to, they need to filter and put parental controls to ensure that their child does not have access to places that are not "age appropriate" for them. If a 13 year old can go to myspace and lie and say that she is 16, then someone is definitely not doing their job...\n\nPlease... please... PLEASE... don't let this happen to your children...
146732
Absolutely!  \n\nMy kids are still in elementary school, but I know that high school is just around the corner.  I think it is appalling that kids can learn those types of things here, or anywhere.  \n\nI am disgusted at the questions kids are asking on here about sex and the like.  I pray that I can steer my kids clear of this kind of filth.  They're great, innocent kids so far.  \n\nKids are even having others do their homework on this site!  Unbelievable!
15060
I think the history of the list is different from state to state as far as when it first came into existence. \n\nI also think that it should exist, however, it should be more specific about the offense or divide the list into several groups. Some offenders were at college Frat parties and hooked up with a 16 year old posing as a fellow college student. They are not really a threat to society like the troubled people that are sexually attracted to children. Some people were naked on a boat or tent on their campsite and were unknowingly seen by passers by that happen to be minors. They are not exactly pedaphiles.\n\nIt is not really fair that they are put on the same list as the ones with psychological disorders. But the public seems to stereotype them all into one big group.
92439
i do it often enough. whats disturbing is how many sex offenders live so close to elementary schools. i tell my son where these bad people are and show him their picture. not to make him paranoid but kids need to be aware of the dangers that are out there for them.
232658
I really do not see the harm for either sex provided that both are in close age proximaty. If an 18 year old and a 16 year old want to screw I see no groups for statuatory rape at all. Why is it that 18 is the magic number for most things, and 21 is the magic number for other (drinking), and a judge can determine to prosecute someone as an adult at nearly any age ? I think that the drinking age needs to come down to 18, and if we are going to define 18 as an adult, then 18 is an adult WITH NO EXCEPTIONS.
509529
The first two obviously don't know what the term means, and jp is has erronious information.  Some state's (like Texas) will continue prosecution even if the parents opt out of prosecuting.  \n\nNot sure the jailtime, but one things for sure, he'll most likely be labled a "sex offender" and have to register his address on the state's website for all to see, and he won't be able to live within 1000 feet of a school, bus stop, park, or church.  it's 2000 in some communities.\n\n\nIt would appear that some edu-ma-cation is in order here: \n\nStatutory Rape is CONSENTUAL sex with someone who is not of legal age to give consent.  IOW, it's screwing while in junior and high school for most of the country.
79606
Not quite..\nIn Texas if the child is 14+ and the person they engage in sex with is not more than 3 years older than them then the other person cannot be convicted of statutory rape.
292023
I understand your resentment, I mean the operation  unnecessarily entices people, who would otherwise not commit the crime.  HOWEVER, those guys showed up there are not being prosecuted based on thoughts but a definite commission of a crime. Here an attempted sexual abuse of a minor for sure (by most common definition, he or she must make substantial steps to effect a crime, sexual abuse of minor). \n\nInterestingly, some jurisdictions do offer a common law defense of entrapment. That is --- a procedural defense by which a defendant may argue that they should not be held criminally liable for actions which broke the law, because they were induced (or entrapped) by the police to commit said acts.\n\nHowever, for the defense to prevail he must show he was forced into committing a crime otherwise he would not. And that does not appear to be the case in the dateline stories.  Some guys even stripped before walking into the meeting house !0!
614154
yes ...tis sooo true...when we were kids...WE WERE KIDS!!!  nowadays...kids that are 10 yrs. old...are having sex..omg ..i was still playing cowboys and indians in the ditch with sticks for guns lmao....blame it all on society ...tv...with the onset of std's sexual education is no longer the parents job...the schools do that now...kids dont have to ask us anything...they learn it all from health classes.  which is good...to an extent...in anycase..yes the generations have changed...to sex crazed teens...body piercing and the likes...and what do we have to do...by societys means....accept our children for who they are....wow...i remember we could not even THINK this stuff without getting the look from mom....and we did not dare ask or try any of it...or we would get spanked...slapped...mouth washed out with soap...or knelt down in a corner for hours...ahhhh the good ole days...now if we, the parents think of spanking or slapping ...cps is knocking on our door the next day or sooner!
367359
People it's only illegal and statutory rape if they have sexual contact.\n\nIt is still a bit too much dating someone that young though.  If he's the pursuer, then it's totally creepy and gross.  If she's the pursuer, then it's just cute and he probably won't be interested.
341329
How old is the girl for one thing.\nCan an innocent incident be interpreted as an out right attack?\nDoes the girl have issues and looking for attention?\nThere have been times kids falsely accuse someone just for the attention or to keep them from trouble.\n\nBut the guy could be arrested...and if the accusations turn out to be false....the accuser and her parents could be sued in a civil court for monetary damges.\n\nIt seems pedophilia is the new witch hunt.....point a finger at someone and they are burned at the stake.