Gay teenager faces charges over relationship with younger girlfriend

[Belldandy]

What's silly is you can be with someone one day, but if your 18th birthday is the next day (and the other person's 16, going on 17), then today you're legal; tomorrow, you're a felon.

So what's the lesson? Only date people born on the same day as you in the same year (in order to avoid being charged and labeled a sex offender)? Pretty limiting / unrealistic. Obviously American laws need to incorporate a leniency somewhere. If you can have sex at 16 and choose your partner (16 being the "age of consent" in most places; in others, it may even be younger / older i.e. 17), then why can't you choose an 18-year-old as your significant other? If you're "mature" enough (as by the "age of consent") to have sex to begin with, I don't see how kissing or being with someone after their 18th birthday is an issue. I can see 16 and 25 being awkward, but if you're 16 and the other person is 17, and at the time you can legally engage in sexual conduct, I don't see why OMG THAT PERSON IS SUDDENLY A DAY OLDER AND IS 18 NOW somehow makes grounds to label someone a sex offender.

The real issue here isn't the victimization / participants, although I do agree that the parents are bigots and probably wouldn't have done it had her partner been male.

The real issue is the fact that the law isn't thorough or defined well enough to avoid trapping kids like this on their 18th birthday. There needs to be a reform; otherwise, the age of consent should change to eighteen and the whole "at 15/16/17 you're old enough to make relationship decisions" should be abolished. You can't go halfway supporting teenagers' sexual choices only to allow the parents to intervene after the age of [sexual] consent, leading to situations like this where a woman's future is in jeopardy because of what her partner's parents think of it.

Either after the age of consent, the individual has complete control of their relationships and sexuality, or there is no age of consent at all and recognition of independant thought starts at eighteen. Not in favour of the latter.

Of course, still within limits to avoid sex tourism. A sixteen-year-old with a twenty-year-old isn't "off" to me. I think the four year leniency works well as to avoid exploitation of teens.

That means (where Age of Consent is 15):

14 = Anything can be considered sexual exploitation
15-19 = OK
16-20 = OK
17-21 = OK
18 = Do what you want

Going on year of birth (YOB). If a 16-year-old born in September is with a 20-year-old who was born in April, then obviously the person will turn 21 before the 16-year-old turns 17 (going by the above chart, twenty (20) is the "limit" of the leniency.) This should still be considered OK because it is a difference in months rather than years, based on YOB.

 

[Miss Anne Thrope]

I think the reason why a 14 year old with an 18 year old is treated differently than an 18 year old with a 22 year old is because 18 and 22 are both adults, whereas 14 is barely finishing up with puberty.
Apparently the younger partner was 14-15, so probably a freshman while the older partner was a senior. They are both in the same social environment treated as the same age group and their relationship should be acceptable. I've had sexual relations openly with adults while I was underage and no one gave a flying feather about it. She is obviously being targeted by the younger girlfriends' parents who are probably homophobes.

I'd think it more unacceptable for a 12 year old to be with a 15 year old, but it would be legal because the age gap is 3 years. A 7th grader with a sophmore is some how okay whereas two highschoolers can't be together? Whatever.

I was always wary of who I told about my adult partners when I was underage. Now, since I just turned 18, looks like I'm going to be the one having to be careful about picking up jailbait.

 

[Dakotah]

I think there is a misconception that the 18 year old started dating the 14 year old when she was 18. This is not true. Both were under the age of 18 when they started dating. It's only after the older teen turned 18 that the charges were laid.

Relationships like this occur every day across the world. Yet we do not hear of mass arrests of teens, where one teen reaches the age of 18 during the relationship. And with good reason... because it doesn't make any logical sense.

 

[Belldandy]

I think there is a misconception that the 18 year old started dating the 14 year old when she was 18. This is not true. Both were under the age of 18 when they started dating. It's only after the older teen turned 18 that the charges were laid.

Relationships like this occur every day across the world. Yet we do not hear of mass arrests of teens, where one teen reaches the age of 18 during the relationship. And with good reason... because it doesn't make any logical sense.

^ This. The charges are so ridiculous in this story and the basis is disgusting (homophobia).

And I think I mentioned before that I had read that the relationship had begun at 17 and carried on after the girl turned 18... That should've been taken into consideration, but I guess everything is just stupidly systematic. Major balogna.

 

[Entermaid]

^ This. The charges are so ridiculous in this story and the basis is disgusting (homophobia).

And I think I mentioned before that I had read that the relationship had begun at 17 and carried on after the girl turned 18... That should've been taken into consideration, but I guess everything is just stupidly systematic. Major balogna.

Still not making a connection of homophobia. The law is not homophobic; it is flawed, but not homophobic.

Parents, often when their child is dating an older person, will pursue the law to the furthest extent in order to preserve the child's "innocence". Yes, a 14/15 year old and 18 year old dating should not be a felony, but it is. The law is the issue. We cannot assume that any part involved is homophobic; as I explicated in a previous post, unjustified victimization is negative for the LGBT community.

Young men are convicted statutory rape of underage girls frequently, and end up on the sex offender registry along with a sentencing. If the teenage girl had been dating an 18 year old male, the parents, may have very well went through the same route, as it often does occur. We cannot assume they were only concerned about the young woman's sexual orientation. Further, we don't know anything, I mean ANYTHING, about this young woman. There are several other reasons why the parent may have been concerned about the relationship.

The recourse of addressing a flawed law on the basis of age of consent, as homophobia, promulgates the cry-wolf effect. In that, violators of the sexual orientation neutral law use their sexual orientation as the explanation for their charges, rather than the violation of a law.

 

[Oryx]

For the second time Fenneking: the law is not homophobic, the parents are. The parents have made it clear that the reason they said anything was due to homophobia; they believe that the older girl turned the younger girl gay and they're morally against it. They've spoken out about it, the law can be applied to anyone but in this case the reason the law was applied was because the younger girl's parents reported it, and the reason they reported it was homophobia.

 

[Entermaid]

Um, I never said the law was homophobic or that others implied so. The law was violated, therefore sexuality does not factor, thus, proclaiming that sexuality was the causation of charges is a form of unjustified victimization, despite what the motivations of the parents are.

Secondly,

How have the parents made that clear? They have not spoken out about anything, their identities are being concealed. I read the article twice and looked for other info, and found nothing that says the parents were homophobic or that they thought they're daughter was turned gay or the relationship was immoral based solely on the gender.

I found this, but this hardly means that the parent actually stated or believed this since these are statments from the older girls family:

"Hunt's family says the 14-year-old student's parents are angry that their daughter was in a same-sex relationship, and decided to go to police, according to Andrew Gay, Hunt's uncle and the family spokesman...Our understanding from the other family is the reason they initially pursued this case is because they're unhappy with their daughter being a same sex relationship....It's horrible. For my daughter's sexual preferences, she's getting two felony charges. It could possibly ruin her future," "

Again, we cannot assume from a defendant's testimony that their motives were so or we are feeding into the unjustified victimization.

Additionally, we cannot assume that the parent would not have sought charges if the girl was dating a young man, even if they were homophobic.

If I am overlooking something, or there is new info let me know.

 

[Belldandy]

I agree with you in some regards, Fenneking. The law is definitely not targeting homosexuals; it applies to everyone. Sure, we can't assume, but what we can say is that:

- The case is taking place in Florida
- Florida is part of the Bible Belt, a region in the USA with very active religious individuals

- Florida has not recognized same-sex marriages or unions. We can assume it is because of these activists opposing the movement
- Said activists also have made Florida a Republican State (thus, against abortions and gay marriage, as per religion)
- The culture and politics of Florida are therefore quite influenced by religious movements and perceptions
- It is therefore not ignorant to assume that the younger child's parents, like the defendant's suspicions, may be homophobic, religious or a mix of both

Now, that isn't to say that maybe they aren't, but we don't know the whole story... So really, all we can do is assume or speculate different things until more information is known.

 

[Lopnis]

I heard this story from a different source when Change asked me for a signature to help her which I signed, and from the way the parents of the 14 year old put in their side, made it quite obvious they were homophobic believing someone could be 'turned gay' and are using this law to harm a girl who before this was not a bad or disturbed person she was just involved in a relationship with their daughter that so they decided to punish her for 'corrupting' her daughter. Now the law was made with good intentions but the parents of the girl are using them with malicious intent not in the interest of their daughter. So I hope in the very least this girl who's life could be ruined by these two people (She's been expelled from school and may be registered as a sex offender for the rest of her life) get's a proper defense and these charges against her are dropped.

 

[Belldandy]

Here's some more info:

http://www.thegailygrind.com/2013/0...ressed-by-her-girlfriends-homophobic-parents/

Looks like a lot of states have the similar four-year rule, like Canada; but Florida is exempt:

the article doesn't say they were having SEX, only that they were dating. Sex with a minor is a crime. (although most states don't call female-female sexual contact rape. just assault.) Most states have an exceptionfor those who just turned 18. a relationship with an age difference of four years is not prosecuted even if one is 18. Guess Florida isn't so reasonable.

But that's going by this guy's word. Makes sense, though.

 

[gimmepie]

The laws really need to be more specific (not just in America) so that unfortunate occurrences can be avoided and people who haven't really done anything wrong don't end up in jail. I'm still not condoning the relationship between the two - it was clearly a bad idea, dangerous for the older of the two and quite frankly inappropriate. At fourteen that girl was well and truly a child whilst her girlfriend was an adult, if she recently became one. Before someone throws it at me, I'd consider thirteen/seventeen even worse. There's just to big a difference between what they are prepared for and where they are at maturation-wise. What I am saying here though is that laws need to be more specific so that more appropriate relationships don't suffer the same fate... here our laws about these things are pretty good but if you ask me laws like these varying across states is a weakness to the system that needs to be fixed.

 

[Dakotah]

The laws really need to be more specific (not just in America) so that unfortunate occurrences can be avoided and people who haven't really done anything wrong don't end up in jail. I'm still not condoning the relationship between the two - it was clearly a bad idea, dangerous for the older of the two and quite frankly inappropriate. At fourteen that girl was well and truly a child whilst her girlfriend was an adult, if she recently became one. Before someone throws it at me, I'd consider thirteen/seventeen even worse. There's just to big a difference between what they are prepared for and where they are at maturation-wise. What I am saying here though is that laws need to be more specific so that more appropriate relationships don't suffer the same fate... here our laws about these things are pretty good but if you ask me laws like these varying across states is a weakness to the system that needs to be fixed.

Gimmepie, how is the relationship inappropriate? Both teens were under 18 when the relationship began. And I didn't know it's inappropriate for people to be 4 years apart when they begin a relationship. Does that mean I shouldn't be dating my boyfriend because he's 13 years my senior? There are millions upon millions of couples out there where the age difference is much greater than 2 or 3 or 4 years of age. Most people I know of don't look at age as a determining factor when they're seeking a relationship with someone. So long as both are consenting and it is legal for them to do so, that's all that matters to them.

This relationship started when both were under the age of 18. You're actually suggesting that the relationship should automatically end because one of the teens turns 18? That is the most illogical, preposterous things I've ever heard.

I'm glad I live in a country where our government recognizes that teens will often be in a relationships where one is older than the other. To automatically make it criminal for the older boyfriend or girlfriend to continue dating the younger one just because he or she reaches legal adulthood is stupidity at its highest.

 

[gimmepie]

It's not the difference that makes it inappropriate it is the fact that it is a relationship between a child and an adult. I'm not saying that the relationship should end the day a person turns 18 I'm saying that when it comes to people who are still in school it is stupid to get into relationships with such age differences - there's a big difference between a fourteen-year-old and an eighteen-year-old, as I already whilst two adults are both generally going to be a lot closer to finishing the maturation process if not already mature enough to enter into an adult relationship. I'm not just talking about sex here either, emotionally there is a big difference from what a fourteen-year-old and an adult are going to want/need. It's not that they should have ended the relationship the day the older girl turned eighteen, it's that it never should have started in the first place.

Getting into the relationship demonstrated an unfortunate lack of foresight, that the older of the two most certainly shouldn't have. I agree that the punishment the older girl is receiving is unjust and probably has a lot to do with the bigotry and "homophobia" of the younger girls parents and the courts but she made her bed and she needs to lie in it. If she had used her head she wouldn't be in a situation that could negatively affect her for the rest of her life.

 

[Dakotah]

It's not the difference that makes it inappropriate it is the fact that it is a relationship between a child and an adult. I'm not saying that the relationship should end the day a person turns 18 I'm saying that when it comes to people who are still in school it is stupid to get into relationships with such age differences - there's a big difference between a fourteen-year-old and an eighteen-year-old, as I already whilst two adults are both generally going to be a lot closer to finishing the maturation process if not already mature enough to enter into an adult relationship. I'm not just talking about sex here either, emotionally there is a big difference from what a fourteen-year-old and an adult are going to want/need. It's not that they should have ended the relationship the day the older girl turned eighteen, it's that it never should have started in the first place.

But who gets to decide if it's appropriate for anyone to be in a relationship? You may think that a 13 or 14 year old having a boyfriend or girlfriend is wrong, but your standards cannot be imposed on anyone else. Society has decided that it is okay for teens to be in a relationship. In fact, it is expected that they do so, and they are strongly encouraged by their parents to have one. Hell, when I was in elementary school, the question I always was asked was: do you have a girlfriend? I know this was made mostly in jest, but I know if I had answered in the affirmative my parents would have been very happy for me (yes I asked them). I have NEVER seen any parent in all my 40 years discourage a teen from developing a relationship (except for when the parent didn't like the person their child was interested in). EVER.

We humans, from the day of our birth, are sexual creatures. And there comes a point in our lives where we'll naturally begin exploring our sexuality. Most relationships will begin as strong friendships. But along the way, stronger, newer feelings will emerge. It's pointless to ignore this and dangerous to try and stop. What's needed for our teens is guidance and education. No human being can determine for another when they are ready for a certain type of relationship. Only the people involved can do that. A parent's job is to ensure that their child have all the information they need so they can properly make their own decisions, and to ensure that their children don't get hurt along the way.

Getting into the relationship demonstrated an unfortunate lack of foresight, that the older of the two most certainly shouldn't have.

Says you. But who are you to determine what was right or wrong for these girls. For that matter, who are you to determine what is right or wrong for anyone except yourself?

I agree that the punishment the older girl is receiving is unjust and probably has a lot to do with the bigotry and "homophobia" of the younger girls parents and the courts but she made her bed and she needs to lie in it. If she had used her head she wouldn't be in a situation that could negatively affect her for the rest of her life.

When it comes to love, please tell me when any of us truly uses our heads. Our hearts almost always overrule our heads where love is concerned. If we all used our heads most of the time, there'd be very few relationships at all.

 

[gimmepie]

Well as to your first point, I am unsure what gave you the impression I was against teens being in relationships at all. That would have been downright hypocritical of me. I don't have a problem with teens being in relationships or even exploring their sexuality - this is just a part of life. I have a problem with young teens who, as I already said, are still far too immature to be in a serious relationship (even if they believe they have one) as a general rule being in relationships with vastly older people.

You are exactly right, it is important that parents help them by providing information and giving advice and it is important that they learn to make their own decisions. But they need to learn how to make good decisions. I'm the first to admit than when it comes to who we have feelings for it can be difficult to use our heads but sometimes there isn't a choice and the repercussions have to be considered. I feel sorry that two people who care for each other can't be together but sometimes this is just how things have to be - you should never risk your future for a high school romance that will more than likely end in a blow-up between a clingy child and an adult who wants a more mature relationship (and I'm not saying this is the mindset of all people in these age groups, but from what I have seen it is with the majority). I know quite a few amazing fourteen-year-old's who are interesting, intelligent and beautiful to boot - hell I even know a few who break the mould and are grown-up enough for a mature relationship - but I'm going to be a teacher and I'm damn sure not risking my entire future on anyone no matter how special they are. Maybe I'm being selfish or maybe I can separate myself from this as a bi-product of autism or something but it seems plain to me that whilst relationships and sexuality are an important part of growing up, sometimes you have to step-back and use your head, way the pros and cons and realise that what you want is not always the right thing nor what is best for either party.

 

[Esper]

Even if you (the generic "you") think that this is an inappropriate relationship, you have to admit that the potential legal punishments are way, way, way out of proportion. If you're 17 and dating someone 14 and then a year passes and you've become a legal adult you shouldn't be forced to register as a sex offender or face any punishments that you weren't subject to when you were 17.

Personally, I think the age difference here is a little large. It's outside the half-your-age-plus-seven rule. (At 18 you shouldn't date anyone younger than 16. And at 17 you shouldn't be dating someone who isn't 15 and a half, or 16 if you round up. And yeah, that's just a rule and it oversimplifies, but it's still a good gauge in a lot of cases.) But even so I don't think the proper response is to bring the heavy hammer of the law down.

 

[Dakotah]

Well as to your first point, I am unsure what gave you the impression I was against teens being in relationships at all. That would have been downright hypocritical of me. I don't have a problem with teens being in relationships or even exploring their sexuality - this is just a part of life. I have a problem with young teens who, as I already said, are still far too immature to be in a serious relationship (even if they believe they have one) as a general rule being in relationships with vastly older people.

Age is not an indicator of maturity. I could name a few teens who demonstrate more maturity than some 30 year olds I know.

I do dispute your contention that a 4 year age gap is significant. It's not, and I'm left scratching my head as to why you think a 14 year old would be incapable of appreciating the consequences of a relationship with someone who might be 16 or 17 years old, or even 18 or 19 for that matter. As I mentioned earlier, in Canada it is perfectly acceptable, and legal, for an 18 year old to date someone who is 5 years their junior. There is a close-in-age exemption for sex between 14-15 year olds and partners up to 5 years older, and also a close-in-age clause for sex between 12-13 year olds and partners up to 2 years older.

Again, what you believe to be right and what society accepts are two different things.

You are exactly right, it is important that parents help them by providing information and giving advice and it is important that they learn to make their own decisions. But they need to learn how to make good decisions.

Learning to make good decisions is something that every child should be learning from their parents from the day they are born, not just in their relationships, but in their life generally. Sadly, some parents make bad teachers.

I'm the first to admit than when it comes to who we have feelings for it can be difficult to use our heads but sometimes there isn't a choice and the repercussions have to be considered. I feel sorry that two people who care for each other can't be together but sometimes this is just how things have to be.

Life is rarely fair, and you're right, there are time when two people who love each other can't be together, but that's no reason to avoid taking risks. Getting involved in any type of relationship involves risks, no matter how safe you think it might be, but so to is choosing not to. As an example, at 14 I fell in love with a boy in school. But because I felt it would not be safe for me to let him know how I felt (homophobia rampant in schools, especially in the early 80s) I never did. I lost that chance when he was killed while crossing the road one day on his way to school. I listened to my head rather than my heart and I still got hurt. I promised that day to listen more to my heart.

you should never risk your future for a high school romance that will more than likely end in a blow-up between a clingy child and an adult who wants a more mature relationship (and I'm not saying this is the mindset of all people in these age groups, but from what I have seen it is with the majority).

That's a generalization that I don't agree with. It's not the age of the people involved that's the question, it's the level of their maturity. The scenario you describe is one where one person in the relationship is not as mature as the other. The exact same scenario plays out in adults all the time, even among those who are of the same age.

As for your assertion that high school romances rarely, if ever, result in stable relationships, this is not an excuse to avoid them. You learn by doing, not by avoiding.

Maybe I'm being selfish or maybe I can separate myself from this as a bi-product of autism or something but it seems plain to me that whilst relationships and sexuality are an important part of growing up, sometimes you have to step-back and use your head, way the pros and cons and realise that what you want is not always the right thing nor what is best for either party.

Sometimes what is right or wrong is not a matter for your head to determine, but what you feel in your heart instead. I followed my heart when it came to my boyfriend. It's led me to 4 wonderful years with the most amazing man I've ever met. And I don't see that ending any time soon. But if it does, I'll deal with it then. Worrying about tomorrow costs too much energy and isn't much fun.

 

[gimmepie]

Jay I have a feeling this is something we are never going to agree on (although I'll admit I'm doing an unusually bad job of explaining my reasons).

You are certainly right that that age isn't necessarily a factor in maturity, but this being said people do mature as they get older and it is fairly common for an eighteen-year-old to be more mature than a fourteen-year-old. I'm not saying that the opposite can't happen, but judging from past experiences it isn't nearly as likely.

What you said is tragic, but I can't help but offer a counter-argument hear. Living recklessly and putting your physical and/or emotional health at risk because of a fear that something may happen surely cannot be better than thinking through a situation, not taking a risk and then not ending up hurt later. Life is far from fair but that is precisely why you need to weigh the costs of your actions against the benefits. Using your story as an example; I see two alternative outcomes that would be likely to happen had you told him. One, the more pleasant one (barely), is that you told him and you got rejected and suffered homophobic ridicule and quite probably physical violence in the long term and then he still got hit by the car. You quite probably wouldn't feel half as bad, possibly not bad at all, for the loss but the ridicule and the beatings would still continue. The other is that you would tell him and he would reciprocate; then you both suffer from the homophobic attacks and he still gets hit by the car and you are left dealing with the homophobic douches as well as incredible grief that would have been much less (probably) had you never found out. I don't know you so it is a bit harder to judge but personally I'd probably be happier with the way things actually played out than with either of those two scenarios... then again I admit it is hard to put myself there since I have never lost anyone like that and I'm not gay so have never suffered from homophobic attacks on me.

You can disagree with my generalisations as much as you like but I see it happen all the time. The adult dates the child, the child has a vastly different perception of the relationship and they end up breaking up (probably over something really petty) they older of the two moves on easily enough whilst the younger one who probably is less experienced (and more hormonal most likely) is devastated. Then the adult goes back after there next relationship falls through because the child is easy pickings, and the child who is still far too inexperienced to realise why the adult has gone back accepts and the cycle repeats. There are other variants of course but this is how it usually plays out.

You were one of the lucky few. You can follow your heart all you want but your heart doesn't have the ability to rationalise and think critically. Sometimes you just have to step back and think about what is best for everybody. It's not something particularly pleasant to think about but it's the truth of the matter.

 

[Dakotah]

You are certainly right that that age isn't necessarily a factor in maturity, but this being said people do mature as they get older and it is fairly common for an eighteen-year-old to be more mature than a fourteen-year-old. I'm not saying that the opposite can't happen, but judging from past experiences it isn't nearly as likely.

That you acknowledge it can and does happen demonstrates that generalizing is just something to avoid. We can't apply our experiences and knowledge to other people, because their lives are different than ours. When we deal with someone we should take them as they present themselves, not how we believe they should. If that 14 year old knows in her heart what is right for her, who are we to argue differently? Let her make those decisions for herself. And if she should stumble, then it will be a lesson for her to learn, and perhaps she will approach things differently next time.

What you said is tragic, but I can't help but offer a counter-argument hear. Living recklessly and putting your physical and/or emotional health at risk because of a fear that something may happen surely cannot be better than thinking through a situation, not taking a risk and then not ending up hurt later.

Yes, it's always the easy route to play it safe, to always avoid risk. But without risk, without taking chances, what benefits does one gain? Sure you'll be safe, probably, but on the other hand, by playing it safe you may just end up ruining that one chance for happiness. Some people never take a chance, and end up kicking themselves in the butt for the rest of their lives.

We can survive by playing it safe always. Or as you put it, weighing the costs of your actions against the benefits, and choosing the path least likely to cause harm. But to truly live, sometimes you have to take a chance, to accept the risks of a decision. Avoiding risks rarely leads to happiness. The ones who are the most successful are the ones who take the risks.

You were one of the lucky few. You can follow your heart all you want but your heart doesn't have the ability to rationalise and think critically. Sometimes you just have to step back and think about what is best for everybody. It's not something particularly pleasant to think about but it's the truth of the matter.

Sometimes the heart is smarter than the brain.

 

[Sir Codin]

Forgive me if this is slightly off topic, but I need to get my 2-cents in. I've said this before, the Age of Consent laws in America are a real f***ing mess (pun still intended) and they need to be cleaned up.

I don't know if I like the idea of it being enforced state by state, it generates a mass of confusion. If it is to be enforced, I think enforcing it federally would streamline things better.

People may disagree with me, but 16 is the most common in America and across many other countries, so I think that's what it should reasonably be for all states. The only reason I'm on the fence about this case of a 14-year old being a relationship like this is because I've honestly never met a person 14 or younger who's come off to me as seeming mature enough to make sound sexual decisions. I know it might seem wrong to generalize, but as anyone who's taken a statistics class knows, generalization speak the best for the population as a whole. Of course there's going to be outliers (in this case, someone 14-years old who actually is mature enough to make these decisions), but these outliers shouldn't determine things as a whole.

Of course, maybe the whole "14 not being 'mature enough'" thing might also be because sex education in America is so pitiful; I learned more about sex from reading about it online (and *ahem* watching it online) than by a school lecture. A lot of people blame teen pregnancies on the media, but I personally think its more of the fault of inadequate sex education. I think abstinence-only education doesn't adequately prepare ANYONE for the deed.

On the topic at hand, that they waited until she was 18 before deciding to press charges comes off like a dick move to me. I find it erroneous how society, especially conservative American society, seems to expect you to stop finding teenagers attractive the moment you turn 18.