Burmese Pythons can be pretty nasty, and can get quite a bit larger than 14'.
Typically, Burmese Pythons are not nasty. They are generally very docile snakes. They typically reach lengths of about 20 feet. There's nothing wrong with letting kids pet them. I wouldn't let a kid handle one alone, but generally, no one should handle a heavy-bodied snake alone once that snake has passed about six or seven feet in length. Just as a dog can react aggressively to a situation and inflict a bad bite or even kill someone, snakes will react if they are presented with the wrong stimulus.
Bill