There has to be a cut off date, and children need protecting from
predators.

Girls at 16 are basically stupid. Most girls who get married to young even
realize much later that they were dumb, dumb, dumb and nobody
told them they should wait, or they were to young and headstrong
to listen.

That’s why we need laws.
That and if you know a lot of girls who got knocked up by some old
geezer, she will tell you later if honest, that he was constrolling and
abusive. Thats why they want someone young, it’s because some woman
older with a half a brain would let him touch her with a 10 foot pole.

JMO

If the man is 36, aren’t the grand parents even more ancient? How much longer will they be around? And will they raise the child with the same disregard for law and morals they did their son?

David just wondering

David, your thoughts are smart and your points well made.

Note: The baby is safe and loved, and if that ever fails, the grandparents would step in in a heartbeat to pick up the slack.

The real winner here is intelligent thought.

I see everyone’s point as well and it gives me pause.

Certainly I in particular would not date underage (17-18yo) girls, less out of fear and more out of common sense. But then again, no such temptation has crossed my radar.

IMO, the law should have some discretion though and at least allow affordable bail. $100000 for a non-violent alleged crime? Not cool.

That is arbitrary.”

Of course it is.

Rape is a legal term defined by law and all laws have an arbitrary nature; what’s the difference between 18 years less a day and 18 years plus a day? None, yet one lets you vote and another doesn’t.

There are countries where a man can sell his 12 year old daughter and it isn’t rape because their law allows it. People have moved to such countries just for such benefits.

This isn’t one of those countries. Our elected officials have written laws the majority of us feel reasonable. Our police are to enforce those laws, not ignore them because they disagree with them. Our judges are to judge if they are just, Constitutional and violated. It isn’t perfect, just the best we have come up with so far.

“The reproduction police are just like the intoxication police” “Here let me protect you because you are too stupid to protect yourself.”

Maybe you can explain the cutoff point for consent,”

Nope, it all seems arbitrary to me but every game has rules to follow. I see you also dislike there being a legal age for drinking alcoholic beverages. I tend to do so as well, not because I want 8 year olds lying drunk in the streets but because I dislike the idea that being able to legally get drunk is proof of maturity. Instead, I favor holding parents responsible for what their minor children do.

I’ll even let you pick the age at which they aren’t minors anymore. Up to that time, if a minor gets drunk, kills himself or someone else, the parents should be legally responsible for homicide.

If the minor gets pregnant because the parents paired her off with an old geezer, the parents should be responsible for taking care of the offspring.

Or so it seems to me. However, those aren’t the laws we live under and rather than complain that current laws aren’t perfect, continue to suggest improvements.

“All parties were happy while this relationship was ongoing. When she moved on….”

Please consider what you are saying here. Everybody was happy with a temporary situation which produced some permanent changes. It seems when the girl matured she became unhappy with it and another party was created who had no say but is now in need of care. The father wanted to provide the care.

Great.

Most of the time the rest of society has to provide the care. That might have something to do with the silly, arbitrary laws you disdain. When he got her pregnant, he endangered her life and definitely changed it.

Did she give informed consent to all the danger and changes? Does anybody?

I don’t care; what’s one more son of strangers in this world? See? Now you’re making me cynical about protecting children from predators.

So, guys a little word of warning. She may look awfully hot but if she’s under eight teen, back off! And to those parents who allowed this to occur, you should be very deeply ashamed of yourselves! And to the mother shame on you as well! Your child will one day be an adult and all this will be known. How do you think he will feel? Playing house with your new family is oh so nice, but children are not toys.

The “age of consent” in Florida is 16 providing that the older of the two in the relationship is younger than 25.

Therefore the 24 year old in a consensual relationship with a sixteen year old is within the law and the 36 year old in the same consensual relationship is a rapist.

That is arbitrary.

The reproduction police are just like the intoxication police” “Here let me protect you because you are too stupid to protect yourself.”

Maybe you can explain the cutoff point for consent, but to me it seems mean spirited to say that you are suddenly an “evil rapist” because you have reached your 26th or 36th birthday.

All parties were happy while this relationship was ongoing. When she moved on and he stepped up in behalf of hi son – to accept financial responsibility, all of a sudden he should go to prison.

A lot of good 18 cents an hour prison wages are going to do that kid.

It stinks.