Posted on 07/23/2007 11:47:17 AM PDT by beaversmom
MCMINNVILLE, Ore., July 22 (UPI) -- Two 13-year-old Oregon boys are facing serious sex charges for allegedly slapping female classmates' bottoms as a form of horseplay.
Police arrested Cory Mashburn and Ryan Cornelison of McMinnville and if convicted could be permanently marked as sex offenders, The Portland Oregonian said Sunday. The teens also could spend as long as 10 years in juvenile detention if found guilty.
While the boys' parents have opposed such a harsh penalty, McMinnville District Aattorney Bradley Berry said such youthful acts could have longstanding consequences for the alleged victims.
"These cases are devastating to children," he said. "They are life-altering cases."
Interviews with the boys' fellow students found other teens were engaging in similar behavior at the time and two of the female victims have since recanted their statements.
The Oregonian said the boys are due in court on Aug. 20 to answer to all charges stemming from the February event.
However, we need to ask ourselves why we have such a coarse culture and why children behave like this, and why parents think it's no big deal.
Most of all, we need to ask ourselves "How do we turn this around, and raise children who will treat people with respect?"
One way to do so is, in fact, to impose draconian sentences so that the word goes out that misbehavior is subject to excessive punishment. That might change things. But if we don't want to do that, it begs the question: "What ought we to do?"
Sounds like DA Berry needs to go back to school and take some classes in common sense and priorities in prosecuting cases. It also sounds like McMinnville needs a new DA.
Well, then they'll soon be arresting entire sports teams now, no?
Meanwhile, on the sidebar to this article you can enjoy photos of (and no, I didn't bother to check them out):
Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center managed to gather 68 men to dress in drag and perform a chorus line in Pioneer Square Sunday to best the previous record of 58.
I always knew you were a perv. :P
personally, i’d say the punishment should reflect the crime. a few minutes in the woodshed should do the trick.
The students need to know that kind of behavior is not appropriate nor gentlemanly
Wondering if the girls today come up to the boys, “fake ‘em out” and pinch them as they did in my youth. Oooooh that used to “P” me off.
We have been thrashing this here over the weekend:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1869843/posts?page=1,50
Oh Puhhhlease. Do you need to have gravity explained to you, or how the sun will come up every morning, or why 13 year old boys will be prone to playing grab-ass with 13 year old girls???? Gee, maybe draconian laws will stop the ocean tides as well.
This guy sounds like he’s lost his fragile grip on reality.
I believe he's referring to the two boys, who now face 10 yrs. jail & life long reg. as sex offenders (plus 10K to hire lawyers).
Read the article in post 10 for lots more info,
If butt slaps were prosecuted, pretty much every high school assistant football coach would be serving time.
I never found out who did it , but it just crossed my mind. It could have been my brother. ;-)
Let the girls’ fathers smack the boys on the head a couple of times. That should just about do it.
I was outright sexually harassed at this age, but I would never have wanted the offenders jailed. Suspended for a week and cleaning erasers for the rest of the year, yes. Jailed, no.
YOu see what I mean about giving women any clout at all? You see what I mean? And the women who encourage this, and make a living at it, also vote and promote abortions. And run for president. THese same women are also mostly to blame for the Duke fiasco.
ClearCase_guy wrote: “However, we need to ask ourselves why we have such a coarse culture and why children behave like this, and why parents think it’s no big deal.”
Um, because there’s nothing coarse about kids playing grab ass. It’s a natural stage in human development—that’s also why it’s no big deal.
The reactions of the adults involved are what’s making this entire issue more traumatic. They are the one making this a big deal when it should have been resolved quickly by the teachers.
These boys need proper adult supervision, not jail sentences. What happened to an adult pulling them aside and telling them to, “Cut it out!” What moron got a police officer involved?
The school staff who were involved should be fired, because they are clearly incompetent. GEESH!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.