Posted on 05/21/2012 10:21:30 PM PDT by SmithL
Parents may pay the price for an illicit love affair between a teenage girl and her grown-up boyfriend.
Stephen Rogers Jr. faces a charge of statutory rape, but police have also charged his girlfriend's parents with child neglect.
The parents admitted they didn't stop the relationship, in fact they did something to signal their approval.
She's 15. He's 21.
Bottom line: Their sexual relationship broke the law.
But some do not see this as a black-and-white kind of issue.
The young love between a 15-year-old girl and her 21-year-old boyfriend has this neighborhood taking sides.
"Some 15 year olds may be able to handle it, and some may not," neighbor Virginia Presnell said.
"He seems like a good guy," neighbor Angela Moore said. "I know there's an age difference, quite an age difference, but they're actually a really good couple. They're almost one of those perfect little couples you never see anymore."
Police arrested and charged Stephen Rogers Jr. on a single charge of statutory rape, but he's dated the 15-year-old for months.
Her parents liked Stephen, and six months ago, they invited him to live with their daughter inside their home.
Some neighbors saw a problem.
"I don't think a 15-year-old should be with a 21-year-old," Presnell said.
But some neighbors like Moore seem conflicted.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I agree with you. They were letting this guy live in their home and “sleep” with their daughter. If they were letting her marry him that would be different. Although I wouldn’t approve of that either.
“You and a dozen others who cite instances of marriage at 13 and 21 or whatever miss the point: those instances involved marriage...”
That was my first thought.
These two weren't married. They were permitted, if not invited, to have a shack-up relationship in her parents house. For those of you who think only of the bottom line and think morality is nonsense, if the girl gets pregnant and the guy leaves her (quite common), who do you think pays for their child? You do.
Even secular conservatives ought to favor marriages and intact families. That's the bulwark against government control over everything. We can start by not drawing an equivalence between a 15-year-old shacking up with a 21-year-old, and marriage between any male and female, regardless of their ages.
“Although I wouldn’t approve of that either.”
Eggzackly. And why wouldn’t you approve of letting her marry him at 15? Because (tell me if I’m wrong), you figure that at 15, esp. with a 21-year old, she’s probably not really making a level-headed, mature decision. But we know, instinctively, that marriage is a major decision, one not to be taken lightly, one that requires maturity.
But screwing each other? No big deal. Nothing to see here. No consequences—they can screw for a while than split up and then come back and screw some more and who cars? No legal consequences, no financial consequences, no social consequences. Paradise for the young man.
Of course there are moral, pyschological and other consequences for screwing around outside of marriage, but our society claims they don’t exist, that marriage is just a piece of paper.
So, precisely because marriage really meant something back when the grandparents and aunts and cousins mentioned upthread got married at age 13 or 15, it was scrutinized carefully and marriage that young was the exception, not the norm.
Now screwing is normal from age 7 onward and who cares? Just having fun. Nothing more.
Ain’t it wunnerful?
These parents should be charged, they are horrible.
What kind of perverts are they? Do they think they live in Hollywood or something?
Here is a good rule for parents to use on their kids:
When you are old for sex, MOVE OUT
The rule should be that if you are old enough for sex, you can MOVE OUT and take care of yourself.
My late uncle, who was one of the smartest men that I ever had the pleasure of knowing, explained “the rule” of age differance:
“Half your age plus seven years is the youngest you should date.”
Politicians can't make better decisions than loving parents can.
Kevin Jennings would probably be ok with the age difference, but he might object to the heterosexuality of it all....
He isn't.
My friend was 15 when he started dating a 21 year old woman. Now 11 years later they are married. As another poster mentioned they were both terrified she would get charged with statuary rape and kept things discrete.
Either that or polygamy.
Guess the western world hasn’t reached rock bottom yet.
Looks like it will be a rough landing when it does.
The key distinction here is between marriage and no-commitment sex. If a 20-something guy with a job was marriage-serious about a 16-year old daughter of mine, I would be OK with it.
No I think you missed the part of my comments where I said I would not condone or allow them having sex with me knowing about it. But if their urges became too strong I said let them marry. I'm 54 and there were several girls in my high school who were in fact married. Actually the allowed age to marry varies or did vary then widely state too state with Georgia I think being the lowest age Without parental permission.
Yep. At thirteen they can't legally run a french fry machine or hold a job.
I'm not sure that is an improvement.
I agree. The situation they allowed in their home I would not have allowed though even if daughter was 21.
Lock the whole family away and toss the key..
The ages of the girl and man in question were within the normal relm of what society a generation ago accepted as old enough for a marriage with an age space about normal between the couple.
They were stupid IMO {the parents} to allow what was going on in their home outside of marriage. In other words they should have told them OK if you insist on this then we insist on a license and a commitment to each other. Believe me the DCS is far more Liberal than even the girls parents. But they will use this as a case where they go all out. In the mean time true molesters and true abusers have a reunification plan written by DCS.
My rule:
No! until your 18
after you are 18, who gives a crap?
any adult having sex with a 15 year old should be shot.
Adults are supposed to have good judgement and some kind of maturity, these people obviously do not have that.
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