Sexual age of consent laws in the United States...

[midnightpulp]

completely arbitrary, or a legitimate moral standard?

I'll start off by saying I totally love the trash TV aesthetic of NBC's "To Catch a Predator." The pathetic desperation of the "pedophiles", the arrogant, exaggerated self-righteousness of Chris Hansen and the Perverted Justice team, the scare tactics, suggesting "tips" to keep your oh so innocent 14 year daughter safe from the evil clutches of sexual deviants, and finally, the left-field excuses the men come up with. "I w-w-was here to, uh, to uh, just bring her lunch."

What I don't like? The 5 year prison sentences and the lifelong branding of the person as a "sexual predator", which no doubt will ruin the person's life.

Psychologically speaking, most of the men featured on the show aren't "sexually deviant". Socially unsophisticated, definitely. Problems with impulse control, obviously. However, following a drive and instinct that has been instilled in us by nature from the get go is not an example of sexual deviation. What I think is going on is an example of an outmoded puritanical mentality left over from the sanitized, "In (Christian) God We Trust" 1950s. You could say it's an extension of the Victorian principles the U.S. was founded upon, but that's not the case:

Social (and the resulting legal) at udes toward the appropriate age of consent have drifted upwards in modern times. For example, while ages from 10 to 13 were typically acceptable in western countries during the mid-19th century,[1] 15 to 18 had become the norm in many countries by the end of the 20th century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent

I also find it ironic that one country's pedophile is another's well adjusted person. Here's the Age of Consent laws around the world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Age_of_Consent.png

To Catch of Predator would have a lot more legitimacy if the "victims" in question were pre-pubescent, but in most cases the child is 13 or older. And again, these people are having their lives ruined for talking dirty. No statutory rape laws have been broken, since there was no sexual activity. To me, that's the real tragedy, not that a 14 year old girl was, gasp, shown a webcam stream of a penis. And for those who are going to come with, "well, what if he was a rapist, or a potential murderer?" It's illogical to extrapolate those scenarios from the situation.

Personally, I'm with Camille Paglia. I think the sexual Age of Consent law should be 14. I know I'll get some rabid critics, and I'll bet they'll be middle-aged men with a pre-teen, teenaged daughter, who would wish death on someone who corrupted their pure, angelic Susie. This in part illuminates the problem. Why is sex seen to be dehumanizing and degrading? I understand concern over disease and pregancy, but to call for imprisonment or violence against someone who wishes to or had sex with your post-pubescent (an important distinction) daughter (or son) is irrational.

To sum it up, the sexual at udes in this country are way too conservative and shaped too much by religion. I mean, after Janet Jackson had her wardrobe malfuction during the Super Bowl a few years ago, there was a crusade against CBS by a variety of "Family Values" activist groups. Says a lot.

Posted this while ago on a different forum. Ignore my smug language in the OP. The forum in question was filled with an older, very socially conservative crowd that I wanted to rile up a bit. Nonetheless, I think this topic would make an interesting Club discussion.

And inb4 the Chris Hansen pictures are posted and the Midnightpedo account is created.

[keytardude27]

Joel, my mom's boyfriend, always hits on the girls at my school when he picks me up. He's 40 and they're like 14 and 15. I don't really care about the age thing, but Joel often hits on the black girls, who are not as pretty and feminine as the white girls with Aryan eyes.

[baseline bum]

[Chachachango]

Well, my seventeen year old lady neighbor seems to be ready.

[pawe]

14 yo girls today are not the angelic susies that they expect them to be.

I dont condone pedophilia but why are the suspects arrested? They were talking to an 18 yo decoy right?

[Oh, Gee!!]

I have a problem in general when law enforcement agencies spend a good amount of cash busting average people for violating crimes they are only assuming they are breaking, like the soliciting of the undercover pros ute or the sexting of the middle-aged male claiming online to be a "14 year-old female."

I get it: these guys are potential criminals. But shouldn't they get counseling instead of convictions if they truly are first-time criminal offenders?

[Wild Cobra]

14 yo girls today are not the angelic susies that they expect them to be.

I dont condone pedophilia but why are the suspects arrested? They were talking to an 18 yo decoy right?

I don't condone have relations with an under age girl, but I would consider pedophilia to be with prepubescent girls rather than under a specific age.

[redzero]

I never pegged you as a hebephile, midnightpulp.

[DarkReign]

The US's age on consent laws are woefully out of sync with societal norms.

[MannyIsGod]

I have a problem in general when law enforcement agencies spend a good amount of cash busting average people for violating crimes they are only assuming they are breaking, like the soliciting of the undercover pros ute or the sexting of the middle-aged male claiming online to be a "14 year-old female."

I get it: these guys are potential criminals. But shouldn't they get counseling instead of convictions if they truly are first-time criminal offenders?

You should look at the recidivist rates for sexual predators. I have no problems with what these stings do. There's nothing potential about these guys. They committed criminal acts.

[MannyIsGod]

I don't condone have relations with an under age girl, but I would consider pedophilia to be with prepubescent girls rather than under a specific age.

Jesus Christ.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I don't particularly have a problem with the age of consent, but I do have a problem with people being arrested for what they thought they were doing rather than what they did. Now I understand we're talking about heinous crimes here, but still.

[clambake]

I don't condone have relations with an under age girl, but I would consider pedophilia to be with prepubescent girls rather than under a specific age.

Jesus Christ.

this guy is creepy.

[Wild Cobra]

this guy is creepy.

Sorry you don't understand that simple concept.

[clambake]

Sorry you don't understand that simple concept.

i understood what you said.

you're ing creepy.

[Wild Cobra]

i understood what you said.

you're ing creepy.

Even when I said I don't condone it?

You ing stupid.

[phxspurfan]

I don't particularly have a problem with the age of consent, but I do have a problem with people being arrested for what they thought they were doing rather than what they did. Now I understand we're talking about heinous crimes here, but still.

Interesting...I've never thought of it that way. Now that I think of it like that it is some Minority Report kind of crap

[Axe Murderer]

I get it: these guys are potential criminals. But shouldn't they get counseling instead of convictions if they truly are first-time criminal offenders?

If you've seen these shows, you'd know that Hansen forces a lot of them to admit that they'd done this before. Even a couple of guys who are already sex offenders.

And, yes, they should get counseling but so does about 95% of the entire prison population..

[Nbadan]

I don't condone internet pedophilia, however, I have posted before that the organization that Hansen uses in these cases has been accused of entrapping some of these guys with role-playing....what they do is log in as a adult woman, get the guy going, tell the guy that they want to role play as a 13 year old girl....log out and then log back in as a 13 year old under a different name,....and then role-play with they guy until they agree to meet....

...its no wonder that so many of these guys are dumbfounded when they get busted......and its no wonder many wind up walking...

[DMX7]

Chris Hansen is going to come to your house just for posting this.