Posted on 12/15/2005 7:16:37 AM PST by Dan Evans
FALLS CITY, Neb. - A 22-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a sexual assault charge filed after he impregnated and then married a 14-year-old girl, and he could face up to 50 years in prison.
Matthew Koso legally married the girl in Kansas, which has no minimum age for marriage, after she became pregnant. The girl, Crystal Koso, now 15, gave birth Aug. 24 to a 7-pound, 1-ounce girl named Samara.
Nebraska, however, requires people to be at least 17 before they can marry and prohibits people 19 or older from having sex with anyone under age 16.
Koso had pleaded not guilty in August. As he left the courtroom with his wife, he would not say why he changed his plea.
The Associated Press generally avoids naming victims of sexual assault, but the couple has spoken freely about the charges, and the girl's name has been widely reported.
His attorney, Willis Yoesil, said he believed possible Koso could be sentenced to probation. He would not say why he advised Koso to change his plea.
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said his office would not make a recommendation to the judge about Koso's sentence.
Sentencing was set for Feb. 7. The judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation, which would include an evaluation of Koso's mental capacity.
Bruning filed first-degree sexual assault charges against Koso in July and a trial was scheduled to begin Thursday.
Bruning, who was criticized by some for pursuing the case given that the sex was consensual and the couple eventually married, defended his decision.
"The law clearly states that it is illegal for a grown man to have sex with a child," he said.
Assistant Attorney General Matt Enenbach said Tuesday that evidence would show that Koso had sex with Crystal when she was 13.
After the girl became pregnant, her mother gave permission for Koso to take her daughter across the state line to Hiawatha, Kan. There is no minimum age for marriage in Kansas, but state law requires anyone under 18 to have permission to marry from both parents, a guardian or a judge.
Koso's lawyer, Yoesil, has said the girl's mother and Koso's parents approved of the marriage. The girl's father has not lived with the family for some time.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recently said she was asking legislators to establish a strict ban on marriage involving anyone younger than 16. The governor said the legislation also should retain the requirement for parental or judicial consent for anyone age 16 or 17.
"The girl's father has not lived with the family for some time."
So now she has a Daddy and a Husband all rolled up into one and a baby doll, too! Life should be perfect, right? Good Grief.
From another article:
"I am ready to raise this child and I know I can," Crystal said.
"Here in Falls City you have two choices: go get drunk or high and die in a car accident or of an overdose, or go get pregnant," she said. "So which is the wrong choice?"
"The people judging, like the attorney general, don't know me," Crystal said. "I can make these decisions. I know what I want, and if I'm willing to take the consequences, then I should be able to decide what I want."
Shemay be more mature than him. They say attention deficit disorder and other learning disabilities.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1121138&page=2
I prefer the Georgia law that nullifies any criminal charges if the couple get married.
The governor is a Democrat and Democrats do not like families. Families interfere with the authority of the state to control people. To them, sex outside of marriage is okay as long as it doesn't lead to heterosexual marriage.
When you think about it though, it makes sense that a young marriage would last. Marriage is a learning experience and we are much better at learning when we are young.
Older people tend to get set in their ways and are less likely to compromise with their spouse.
I still don't think there should be any criminal charges unless the family filed for them. Sounds like the family was willing to handle this.
It doesn't matter to me as long as they raise the child right. Of course all bets are off if he goes to jail and she has to give up the kid for foster care to a couple of homosexuals. Then the liberals will be happy as pigs.
I'd give the guy a pass. He has a child to look after and a young wife!
Back in '61 or '62, my 18 yr old cousin was sneaking around with a14 yr old girl. They got "caught" when she got pregnant and had to tell her folks.
Her dad put her, her 2 brothers and his shotgun in the car. He drove to the courthouse and got them a marriage license and went by the parsonage and picked up the preacher. Drove straight to my cousin's house and called him outside.
Told him "son, you have got this girl in a family way and today is either going to be your wedding day or your dying day. Whichever one you chose, you are gonna need that preacher"!!!
They got married right then and there in the front yard. Her daddy told my cousin "she belongs to you now and you had better take good care of her and that baby" and drove off.
They are still married to this very day. When the best man at your wedding is a 12 ga. shotgun, I guess it is a good idea to stay married.
My parents got married that way.
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