The motivation doesn’t matter, except as it comments upon the insanity of “race-based” ethics.
Words have meaning. Words always matter. Words are what will be used to defend this vile individual in a court of law. Words posted on this web site get bandied on television these days. It matters to me what gets said about this case and how our FR community views the incomprehensible evil of adopting a powerless, dependent child for the purpose of raping him from infancy onward, clearly with the knowledge of wrongdoing, since the "perv dad" took pains either to conceal his acts from his partner, or to cover for his partner's involvement.
The child's race is an issue because of Lombard's statements to the sting cop that it was easier to adopt a black child; and also because of the recent past's racist feeding frenzy the Duke community engaged in when characterizing white lacrosse players as guilty racists when, in fact, they were innocent of the charges, and should have had the benefit of a presumption of innocence. This case, where the gay male "perv dad" admitted his culpability to the arresting officer, is receiving hands-off treatment both from Duke and from the media. Those are the criminal and social issues. As for his psychology, pffffffft. Evil is evil. There was simply no excuse; and none should be made at his trial.
It is also vile that the newspapers keep printing as a foregone conclusion that his maximum sentence will only be 20 years. The child has been subjected to a lifetime of crippled development.