"What the heck is the matter with parents who would let their 17 yo daughter run around with a 38 yo man?? Are they insane, or just incredibly stupid?"
Probably just liberal (which, of course, means insane AND incredibly stupid).
You're probably very close. What's the deal with young women jumping in the sack with a virtual stranger? Maybe mommy and daddy need to stay in dorms with their kids until they're lined out but then someone would have them staying in barracks with their 17-18 yr. old soldiers, "Yoo-hoo, Mr. Drill Sergeant, I think you're being mean! Honey, hold up your stress card so he can see it."
Sheesh! BTW, "amature photographer" probably means "wanna be" or "unemployed".