We need to change the sex offender laws

[Anonymous]

I just want to make sure I have all of this straight. A woman needs to keep her knees shut or else she deserves whatever she gets, including an unwanted pregnancy that she should be forced to keep (but if she does, that's her choice and the man shouldn't be required to pay child support). An adult man has sex with an underage girl, and people are protesting that not only should the man not be punished but the girl should be punished for her deception. With these mindsets, I'm amazed we have rape laws at all, because it seems like men should be able to get away with whatever they want with respect to sex, and women face all the consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just want to make sure I have all of this straight. A woman needs to keep her knees shut or else she deserves whatever she gets, including an unwanted pregnancy that she should be forced to keep (but if she does, that's her choice and the man shouldn't be required to pay child support). An adult man has sex with an underage girl, and people are protesting that not only should the man not be punished but the girl should be punished for her deception. With these mindsets, I'm amazed we have rape laws at all, because it seems like men should be able to get away with whatever they want with respect to sex, and women face all the consequences.

Yep, I'm surprised (or maybe I shouldn't be) at the amount of misogyny on this thread. And aimed at a 14 year old girl, no less.

[Anonymous]

I guess I am in the minirity but if you are having sex with some one you essentially do not know, this is a risk you are taking.

[Anonymous]

The above was aimed at the guy, btw.

[Anonymous]

Really?! You think 14 year old girls should be having sex? I read this hoping that it would be a post about increasing penalties on sex offenders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our priority as a society is to protect children. A 19 year old is an adult and a 14 year old is a child. A 14 year old is incapable of giving legal consent. We protect children by making it illegal for adults to have sex with them because children cannot give consent.

I am completely for protecting children through age of consent laws. I am not ok with a 19 year old being lied to by said "child" and having his life destroyed because he believed her lies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our priority as a society is to protect children. A 19 year old is an adult and a 14 year old is a child. A 14 year old is incapable of giving legal consent. We protect children by making it illegal for adults to have sex with them because children cannot give consent.

I am completely for protecting children through age of consent laws. I am not ok with a 19 year old being lied to by said "child" and having his life destroyed because he believed her lies.

Do you understand what the term "statutory rape" means? The underage minor can declare him or herself to be the man in the moon, but if a person considered to be a legal adult has sex with an underage minor, the adult has committed statutory rape. The law is written with the full knowledge that a child might lie about his or her age because of the very fact that he is immature. We protect children from their own immaturity as well as from predatory adults by statutory rape laws. If the act fits into the parameters of the law of the state where the act took place, it is statutory.

It is rape because the statute says so. The actions or statements of the victim have nothing to do with the culpability of the legal adult involved.

[Anonymous]

Our priority as a society is to protect children. A 19 year old is an adult and a 14 year old is a child. A 14 year old is incapable of giving legal consent. We protect children by making it illegal for adults to have sex with them because children cannot give consent.

I am completely for protecting children through age of consent laws. I am not ok with a 19 year old being lied to by said "child" and having his life destroyed because he believed her lies.

Do you understand what the term "statutory rape" means? The underage minor can declare him or herself to be the man in the moon, but if a person considered to be a legal adult has sex with an underage minor, the adult has committed statutory rape. The law is written with the full knowledge that a child might lie about his or her age because of the very fact that he or she is a child and thus, is immature. We protect children from their own immaturity as well as from predatory adults by statutory rape laws. If the act fits into the parameters of the law of the state where the act took place, it is statutory.

It is rape because the statute says so. The actions or statements of the victim have nothing to do with the culpability of the legal adult involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think it's crazy that different states have different laws about such things. I feel sorry for people who move or foreign visitors who visit multiple states.

So, MD has ^ law, and MI has a different law. It's arbitrary and goes to show that this type of situation is complex and shouldn't be a black/white case.

Yes, that's how federalism works.

Also, all laws are arbitrary. I, for one, was entirely mature enough to vote when I was 17. But I had to wait until I was 18. Why? So arbitrary! Also, what if I have a legal case with a claim for $5,001? For $5,000, I can take it to small claims court, but for $5,001, it has to be a regular civil case. Again, so arbitrary!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Our priority as a society is to protect children. A 19 year old is an adult and a 14 year old is a child. A 14 year old is incapable of giving legal consent. We protect children by making it illegal for adults to have sex with them because children cannot give consent.

I am completely for protecting children through age of consent laws. I am not ok with a 19 year old being lied to by said "child" and having his life destroyed because he believed her lies.

Do you understand what the term "statutory rape" means? The underage minor can declare him or herself to be the man in the moon, but if a person considered to be a legal adult has sex with an underage minor, the adult has committed statutory rape. The law is written with the full knowledge that a child might lie about his or her age because of the very fact that he or she is a child and thus, is immature. We protect children from their own immaturity as well as from predatory adults by statutory rape laws. If the act fits into the parameters of the law of the state where the act took place, it is statutory.

It is rape because the statute says so. The actions or statements of the victim have nothing to do with the culpability of the legal adult involved.

Not really. That same 14 year old can be charged as a sex offender for distributing child porn if she sends a nude picture of herself to a 15 year old boy.

See how your argument falls apart?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Our priority as a society is to protect children. A 19 year old is an adult and a 14 year old is a child. A 14 year old is incapable of giving legal consent. We protect children by making it illegal for adults to have sex with them because children cannot give consent.

I am completely for protecting children through age of consent laws. I am not ok with a 19 year old being lied to by said "child" and having his life destroyed because he believed her lies.

Do you understand what the term "statutory rape" means? The underage minor can declare him or herself to be the man in the moon, but if a person considered to be a legal adult has sex with an underage minor, the adult has committed statutory rape. The law is written with the full knowledge that a child might lie about his or her age because of the very fact that he or she is a child and thus, is immature. We protect children from their own immaturity as well as from predatory adults by statutory rape laws. If the act fits into the parameters of the law of the state where the act took place, it is statutory.

It is rape because the statute says so. The actions or statements of the victim have nothing to do with the culpability of the legal adult involved.

Not really. That same 14 year old can be charged as a sex offender for distributing child porn if she sends a nude picture of herself to a 15 year old boy.

See how your argument falls apart?

The post above is explaining the law involved in this particular case and why statutory rape laws are written the way they are. No argument about anything there, just an explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our priority as a society is to protect children. A 19 year old is an adult and a 14 year old is a child. A 14 year old is incapable of giving legal consent. We protect children by making it illegal for adults to have sex with them because children cannot give consent.

I am completely for protecting children through age of consent laws.

Yes, but the "child" knowingly misrepresented herself. Some how or another that needs to come into play in situations like this. The girl LIED. She knowingly and willingly had sex with him, but he's on the sex offenders list and his life is ruined. What about her? She played a part in ruining someone's life. This wasn't an "oops".. she lied.

[Anonymous]

The laws need to get with the times. A 14 year old should not be able to play a part in destroying someone's life and walk away without a consequence. A 14 year old knows lying is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our priority as a society is to protect children. A 19 year old is an adult and a 14 year old is a child. A 14 year old is incapable of giving legal consent. We protect children by making it illegal for adults to have sex with them because children cannot give consent.

I am completely for protecting children through age of consent laws.

Yes, but the "child" knowingly misrepresented herself. Some how or another that needs to come into play in situations like this. The girl LIED. She knowingly and willingly had sex with him, but he's on the sex offenders list and his life is ruined. What about her? She played a part in ruining someone's life. This wasn't an "oops".. she lied.

It doesn't matter. Children sometimes lie and may seem to give consent but these laws are written because our society has made the decision to protect children. That's part of the point of statutory rape laws. In the context of this law, a 14 year old is a minor child who falls under the protection of the law. A 19 year old is an adult and breaks the law when he has sex with a 14 year old minor child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The laws need to get with the times. A 14 year old should not be able to play a part in destroying someone's life and walk away without a consequence. A 14 year old knows lying is wrong.

Do you want to change the laws to make it illegal for people to lie? Or just illegal for minors to lie? Or just illegal for 14-year-olds to lie about their age to people who, if they choose to have sex with the 14-year-old, would be committing statutory rape?

Here's how to avoid having your life destroyed by a 14-year-old who lied about their age: only have sex with people who you know are of age. Also, don't believe everything people say about themselves on line.