Posted on 09/13/2016 2:38:10 PM PDT by Forgotten Amendments
One might argue that a sexual predator deserves such a fate. But Austin isn't a sexual predator. He didn't assault anyone, or send child porn. By one important measure, he is a child himself: the age of consent in Wisconsin is 18, which means Austin is technically under-age, just like the girlfriend he is accused of exploiting.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
According to the article:
1) Wisconsin doesn’t have a Romeo and Juliet law that comes into play with teens.
So 17 y.o. Romeo is legally liable for his actions with 15 y.o. Juliet.
As a bonus, because he is 17 he can be prosecuted as an adult.
2) the parents of both kids knew they were engaged in sexual activity.
The girls parents got her on birth control and provided condoms.
2A) the boys dad lives in Laos, hasn’t seen his son in years.
3) Where it goes wrong is when Juliet starts sending nude pictures to another boy.
4) Romeo gave up his phone when the school cop asked for it.
The DOOFUS believed the “you’re not in trouble” line the school cop fed him.
5) Six kids had their phones examined and had nudes of Juliet on them, boy #2 sent them to his friends.
But only the boyfriend gets charged.
Probably because he’s the oldest.
Kids being kids with modern technology added means more than hearts get broken.
I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the boy. He violated the Judaeo Christian morals that society is built on. It is too bad when the system has become so corrupted but when you step over the line for whatever reason whether because of your decision to err or society’s claim that there are no more morals, you take your chances and you will pay a price now or later.
In before the zero tolerance rules are rules folks show up.
There’s a 17yo kid in Florida serving 20 for consensual sex with his 16yo girl friend.
When I was 17, everybody knew “15 will get you 20”.
That is what I was thinking!
Foolish words. Laws are written by corrupt governments. And enforced by corrupt prosecutors.
I don’t know the laws in WI but most states have a “like age” consent law, that is two people that are 2 or in some states 3 years difference in age are exempt from the age-of-consent laws .... the only exception being if one of them is younger than 12.
Don’t be fooled by articles like this. There are reasonable laws and I’d be surprised if WI didn’t have ones similar to most other States. Usually the goal of these types of articles is to get rid of AOC laws altogether, which would allow much older persons to sexually prey on people much younger than themselves.
Like-age statutes are reasonable and easy enough to pass in state legislatures ... but there is powerful group who wishes to pretend this is not an option and the only way to address the issue is to get rid of AOC laws
Rule of law also means the judicious use of prosecutorial discretion, which apparently is not being exercised, as well as jury nullification, which may yet.
Stupid laws and overzealousness result in bad and tragic ends. The prosecutor should pay for this at the ballot box. There are other WI statutes that are more important. Also, the governor presumably has the discretion to pardon.
What about the girl’s voluntary participation? By your logic, she should be prosecuted as well. While we’re making the moralist argument, I guess everybody involved, including the parents, should be tossed in the clink.
I guess mercy never enters into the equation, eh?
Nope. You were too late. We’re already being treated to the “lock up the kids” choir.
They need a kick in the head. Thanks to lousy parents, unsupervised, stupid, irreligious and immoral teens, we have out-of-control unmarried pregnancies, abortion rates that shame the world and stds up the wazoo.
Sounds to me like this was more than some horny dude.
The 17 year old male acted in good faith with a person he loved. She’s the one who betrayed him.
Guess she was just a horny dudette.
All of them are over the line. I don’t say they “should” be arrested and incarcerated: They have put themselves outside I don’t sympathize with any of the erring actors when they find the tornado.
I say have a talk with the parents. Especially the parents allowing their minor daughters to go out with 18, 19 and 20 year old + boys.
If they are going to allow it, then they have to answer for it. And that doesn’t include the convenient excuse of filing SR charges.
There are provisions for young couples to marry if their guardians and a judge agree.
Your grandfather would be fine today.
I disagree with the morals of both the parents and the kids. But, this is nuts. There has to be some semblance of evenness in how behavior is judged under the law.
Article states he is 17 so was able to be charged as an adult...
15 year olds can get married with parental consent in many states. The girl was having sexual relations with the 17 year old boy with her parents’ evident consent. Should they have been having sex? I’d say no, waiting until marriage would be far better. But it wasn’t rape, and the boy doesn’t deserve prison time. If he does, she does. They’re both legally minors.
I didn’t “score” at 16 either. Now 17.........
Good thing I don’t live in WI.
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