Our sex laws seem so screwed up!!?

Question

I am speaking in reference to the recent news story where a 17-yr-old boy is being prosecuted and facing jail time for having consensual sexual relations with a 15-yr-old girl at a party.

We teach kids about safe sex. We provide them with condoms. We were all teenagers once and know very well that sex is a big part of teenage life, whether active or in thought.

Yet some of our sex laws punish the innocent, such as the boy in this case. Yet we completely ignored the fact that a video of this incident was shown to a group of grown adults (the jury). Personally, I do not need to watch child porn to be able to tell you how I would vote in this case. NOT GUILTY!

Am I making sense here? Are our laws screwed up to the point where the innocent may be targeted and victimized?

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jun06/0,4670,TeenSexCase,00.html

1st Answer, this law is not something carved in stone sent from a god delivered to a righteous man upon the top of a mountain. The law was created by men for the purpose of protecting innocent children from being taken advantage of by adults. It is up to us to interpret the law in a manner that is most logical and reasonable. You call me a criminal for seeing a problem in that some of our laws are being twisted to punish the innocent. I call you a criminal against reason and logic due to your refusal to look at the big picture and instead blindly follow the letter of the law regardless of which innocent parties may be hurt in the process.

sugarBear, calm down. Jesus! You act as if videotaping a sexual act is always a bad thing. Maybe you personally don't like it, but that does not make it so for everyone else. And FYI, I have not done it.

Answer 1

You're completely right. In the effort to "protect our children", we are painting sexual incidents with a broad brush. This ruins the lives of harmless and innocent individuals. "Good intentions pave the road to hell." It's a nobel motivation, but the application is all wrong.

Did you know that a silly case of "indecent exposure" can force you to have to register as a sex offender for evermore? That could be streaking at a frat party. @_@

Answer 2

I agree with you to some degree. But, I honestly think that the law was written partially to protect children from themselves and other children as well as adults. You are wrong that the law should be thrown out. There are children who are much more mature at 17 who take advantage of younger children. The law should not be taken out completely. The only thing that I do not agree with in accordance with this law is the way that these children are punished. A boy guilty of statutory rape has the same consequence as a man who rapes little children. I do not believe that this crime should be punished in the same manner. I have seen many boys put on the Sex offender Registry that only committed the crime of statutory rape or unlawful sexual conduct and their picture sits next to an 80 year-old-man who was pleasured by 10 year-olds.

The first Answerer is wrong to think that the jury has an obligation to interpret the law the way the judge wants them to. Why have an impartial jury then? The whole point of having a jury or a trial for that matter is to determine how the law should be interpreted. The jury becomes the finder of fact in a jury trial.

Answer 3

I 100% agree with you. I often wonder how people can be that big of a scumbag to defend those sickos. I'll never fully understand why we don't do more to these pedos and sex offenders. You get more time for having drugs on you, then molesting a 5 year old child! It's disgusting. I was watching something the other day where there was a women who was stabbed in her skull and chest by a now ex boyfriend, and the guy only got 8 years!!!!! Psycho's like that should be locked away forever!!! He just barely affected her temporal lobe, and he made her pull out the knives herself because he got a kick out of it. Thankfully neighbors had heard and called the cops in time. Children and women sometimes get the short end of the stick because we waste our tax dollars on non-violent offenders instead of the real threats to society.

Answer 4

True but we need them in place to ensure the actual predators get the punishment that's deserved. However, in this case it is ridiculous. Not only are they charging him for aggravated child molestation, and it's for Oral Sex, but also tried to go after some other party goers for rape of a consensual 17 year old. It's a travesty in this case especially considering that women are not treated in the same fashion. In fact it wasn't until the cases of the teacher who molested a 14 year old boy that a woman was convicted of child molestation. Society views this as a good thing to happen to a man (after all what boy wouldn't want to have sex with their teacher? Not my point of view, just making a point), and the worst thing that can happen to a young woman. It's a crock of ****. Basically it's reinforcing the already slanted view the law has with regards to gender. Women have better custody rights/alimony rights, get charged with the same crime less than men, receive milder sentences than their male counterparts, sexual harrasment, and now this? Sounds like justice is blind. Feminists are right, we do have a long way towards equality, both ways.

Lastly, to all that said we follow the letter of the law, that's great. However there's a reason why there are methods and ways to change laws, heck even amendments. Just because it's the law doesn't make it right and it's up to us as citizens and the political people we vote for to right the wrongs and to adjust the "law". Don't believe me? Here's a list of crazy laws that we have put into place, it's amazing. "It is illegal for a husband to beat his wife with a stick larger in diameter than his thumb. " The law says it's okay to beat my wife as long as I find a small enough stick, it's the law so I must abide or be a criminal (according to your rationale)

Answer 5

The only thing I believe is screwed up is YOUR MIND!!!
Sex Laws exist because of the stupidity that people do to each other, especially with our children. No matter how much we teach them to make better decisions, they are still being taken advantage by from others. How do you even know it was consensual? were you there? I don't think so. And why was the jury able to see a video taping of it? Don't you think that the fact that it was video taped means the guy is a damn PERVERT who meant to video tape his so called "consensual" sex with the 15 year old girl. You call that innocent? And with him being 17 years old, I am very sure he was fully aware & old enough to know (since we teach them) that having sex with a 15 year old is WRONG & if YOU THINK he didn't do anything wrong, then why the hell is he in jail now? wrongfully accused? I DON'T THINK SO. That little pervert had sex with her, he video taped it & probably showed it off to his other perverted friends. Now, if it had been consensual & if he is a decent teenager like you portray (without even knowing him personally) then he would have respected her more & NOT video taped it or probably even go for it if he was in his right mind. You obviously know NOTHING about any laws, for you are probably A PERVERT yourself who's probably done the same thing to another girl out there thinking there's nothing wrong with it.

LOSER!

Answer 6

The boy was not innocent. He should not be having sex with a 15 year old. Any punishment he gets is to good for him. People like him are the reason girls are getting knocked up at 15.

Answer 7

a 15 year old is very nieve when it comes to the matters of sex and the laws are ment to protect them. Do we punish the innocent? Yes sometimes that happens, but it is a group of their peers that will find one guilty or not.

Answer 8

sorry but he is guilty. he broke the law

Georgia's age of consent is 16 (across the board) so even though he is 17, he still had sex with a girl wasn't even able to consent to it.

that is statutory rape.

The jurors are tasked with following the LETTER of the law, AND its clearly spelt out in Georgia's case, that age of consent is 16 years old. The girl was 15.

He was tried, and found guilty, based on the law.

Answer 9

I see you point as there is onlya two year age gap you cant help but think itsa couple of students trying things out forthe first time . but the law is the law.
It would be different if it was a sixty yearold school caretaker. OMGICBIJST (oh my god I cant believe I just said that)

Answer 10

The injustice here is that it is the boy who was prosecuted. As he is not considered an adult either, both should have been charged with participating in under age sex...

Please understand that I don't believe an actual crime has been commited, but if the law states that there has...then they are BOTH guilty...