Kentucky Court to Consider If Underage Sex Is a Crime

[Yurt]

IS CONSENSUAL SEX BETWEEN TEENAGERS A CRIME?

In many states, yes. The age of consent in Kentucky, for example, is 16, meaning that anyone younger cannot legally have sex, no matter how willing they are. Many states have "Romeo and Juliet" laws that protect some teens from prosecution when they engage in consensual sex.

BUT AREN'T TEENAGERS ENTITLED TO PRIVACY WHEN IT COMES TO SEX?

The boy's lawyer says yes, but authorities were called by the girl's mother in this case after the young couple texted nude photos to each other. She found the images on her seventh-grader's phone, learned she was having sex at home with her eighth-grade boyfriend, and sounded the alarm.

WHEN UNDERAGE CHILDREN HAVE SEX, CAN BOTH BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME?

In theory, the 15-year-old boy's mother also could have called police and demanded that his 13-year-old girlfriend be prosecuted. His lawyer argues that his right to equal protection under the law was violated when the state sent him, but not her, to a secure youth center as a sex offender.

Kentucky Court to Consider If Underage Sex Is a Crime - ABC News

i don't understand why the boy is charged and not the girl. i think the law may have valid interests in keeping teens from having sex, but what an incredible ill thought way to try to keep teens from having sex. and why is the boy the only one charged and labeled a sex offender?

please don't turn this into a perv thread, thanks

 

[Care4all]

Well, I think the boy has a case.... he was under the age of consent as well....and it is discrimination in my opinion....to charge him while not charging her....and truthfully, in this case, I think neither should have been charged with a crime since they both were underage....their parents should be handling this without the government, since it was consensual....

 

[Roadrunner]

IS CONSENSUAL SEX BETWEEN TEENAGERS A CRIME?

In many states, yes. The age of consent in Kentucky, for example, is 16, meaning that anyone younger cannot legally have sex, no matter how willing they are. Many states have "Romeo and Juliet" laws that protect some teens from prosecution when they engage in consensual sex.

BUT AREN'T TEENAGERS ENTITLED TO PRIVACY WHEN IT COMES TO SEX?

The boy's lawyer says yes, but authorities were called by the girl's mother in this case after the young couple texted nude photos to each other. She found the images on her seventh-grader's phone, learned she was having sex at home with her eighth-grade boyfriend, and sounded the alarm.

WHEN UNDERAGE CHILDREN HAVE SEX, CAN BOTH BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME?

In theory, the 15-year-old boy's mother also could have called police and demanded that his 13-year-old girlfriend be prosecuted. His lawyer argues that his right to equal protection under the law was violated when the state sent him, but not her, to a secure youth center as a sex offender.

Kentucky Court to Consider If Underage Sex Is a Crime - ABC News

i don't understand why the boy is charged and not the girl. i think the law may have valid interests in keeping teens from having sex, but what an incredible ill thought way to try to keep teens from having sex. and why is the boy the only one charged and labeled a sex offender?

please don't turn this into a perv thread, thanks

For all the progress women have made, there is still this lingering bullshit in the law that women are the weaker sex, and it is always the male who "dupes" the woman into having sex.

Both these kids need serious intervention in their lives, am absolutely positive labelling either as "sex offenders" is totally wrong, and will ruin their lives forever.

We need to get over this collective idea we have that kids "can't help but fuck", and realize that adolescent sex is destructive, and start raising kids with more sense than these two.

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

Well, I think the boy has a case.... he was under the age of consent as well....and it is discrimination in my opinion....to charge him while not charging her....and truthfully, in this case, I think neither should have been charged with a crime since they both were underage....their parents should be handling this without the government, since it was consensual....

Except that , for example, If a 15 year old girl can't consent to sex with a 30 year old man, how is she able to consent with a 15 year old boy? Either you can consent or you can't. And yes, they both should be charged if either is.

No, I'm not advocating for removing age of consent laws , I'm saying be consistent with them.

 

[Yurt]

Well, I think the boy has a case.... he was under the age of consent as well....and it is discrimination in my opinion....to charge him while not charging her....and truthfully, in this case, I think neither should have been charged with a crime since they both were underage....their parents should be handling this without the government, since it was consensual....

i agree with this. i don't understand how both can be charged with a crime when both were underage and it is absolutely discrimination to only charge the boy who has now been put in juvi and labeled a sex offender.

what a horrendous law and justice system they have there.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Considering how many of us had sex before the age of consent, and did so with somebody also under the age or barely over it, if such draconian laws were applied to all, there would be umpteen million people charged with sex crimes.

When I hear of idiocy such as this, I can't help but think somebody has it in for somebody and is misusing the power of the court system.

If people cannot comprehend the difference between a 30 or 40 year old grooming a young teen, and two teens doing what two teens tend to do, they do not belong anywhere even close to the justice system.