GUILTY FL - Kaitlyn Hunt for statutory rape of 14yo girl, Vero Beach, 2013

[Sassygerl]

:waitasec:

We have to define it. We have to define excessive speed and BAC Limits and when folks can vote. The boys you referenced would fall into coercive so they should be punished.

I think of our poster who discussed the nightmare her son is going through-he didnt know the girl was underaged. I read your sympathetic comments to the poster, but using your yardstick above, he should have known right?

I am so confused-are you advocating no consent laws whatsoever for minors? We will just chalk up predatory, coercive and legally impaired sexual relations between children as life lessons?

And who are you to say he should have known?????? She lied about her age....it was summer vacation and she looked 15 no doubt.

eta: I misread....you're asking regarding other posters comments. The sympathetic post was very nice considering it is a hell of a nightmare to live through. NO parent would want to go through it.

 

[Gardenlady]

I am on the side of the law on this. She is at school for one thing, suppose to be there for an education, not bathroom sex with a minor. What in the heck has happened that it's ok for "kids" to have sex. I don't understand what the push is. I really don't care about gender, that is a non issue. It's about age.
I remember a show I watched years ago. It was about these corporate/ceo men that were married with families and were just weeks or months from retirement when they up and died and the woman were denied their retirements/pensions. No the wives did not get the pensions. There are cut-off dates for lots of things just like there are age cut-offs. The rules/laws are in place for a reason, and I don't think it's for bending purposes. jmo

o/t 16 year olds can vote in local elections in montgomery co md.
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/maryland-town-grants-16-year-olds-the-right-to-vote/

Well nobody said sex in the bathroom was a good idea, and I've seen no one making a "push" for having sex.

But what you're talking is making it a crime, punishable by jail time. Do you really want teens jailed for having consensual sex, bathroom or not?

 

[Elley Mae]

Well nobody said sex in the bathroom was a good idea, and I've seen no one making a "push" for having sex.

But what you're talking is making it a crime, punishable by jail time. Do you really want teens jailed for having consensual sex, bathroom or not?

I never said it was a good idea. Making it ok is pushing the idea to me. I am not making it a crime, it is a crime. I happen to agree with it. Yes I do want under age people that are having sex to be punished for it.

 

[JeannaT]

:waitasec:

We have to define it. We have to define excessive speed and BAC Limits and when folks can vote. The boys you referenced would fall into coercive so they should be punished.

I think of our poster who discussed the nightmare her son is going through-he didnt know the girl was underaged. I read your sympathetic comments to the poster, but using your yardstick above, he should have known right?

I am so confused-are you advocating no consent laws whatsoever for minors? We will just chalk up predatory, coercive and legally impaired sexual relations between children as life lessons?

BAC and excessive speed are extremely easy to define, though. They're numbers. Coercive relationships are very very hard to define.

I most certainly wouldn't "punish" a boy legally for telling a girl if you don't have sex with me, I'll break up with you. "If you loved me you would". Would you actually feel that was cause for pressing charges? That's life - and it's now up to the girl to decide whether she wants that lout for a boyfriend anyway. I don't think we have any legal basis to define coercion in a setting like a school. Coercion can certainly be defined in a prison type setting, where you are helpless and don't want abuse.

 

[Gardenlady]

I never said it was a good idea. Making it ok is pushing the idea to me. I am not making it a crime, it is a crime. I happen to agree with it. Yes I do want under age people that are having sex to be punished for it.

What should the punishment be for having consensual sex then?

 

[believe09]

And who are you to say he should have known?????? She lied about her age....it was summer vacation and she looked 15 no doubt.

eta: I misread....you're asking regarding other posters comments. The sympathetic post was very nice considering it is a hell of a nightmare to live through. NO parent would want to go through it.

I was afraid that you would miss the qualifiers in my post-I dont doubt whatsoever that you and your family are living a complete nightmare. I was springing off of JennaT's comments only. :hug:

 

[Gardenlady]

I guess I'm wondering what it is about sex (assuming consensual, between teens of a reasonable age) that is so bad that they should be punished for it. I'm kind of surprised to see people say that sex should be a punishable offense. I mean sure, I guess if you want to punish your own teen for having sex, have at it. But a law to punish all kids for having consensual sex under age 18? I don't see that as either right or effective. It tells teens that sex is dirty and wrong and a crime.

There is something wrong with a country where we think its okay for a 15 year old to shoot guns, but they should be punished for having sex with a peer. :waitasec:

 

[Gardenlady]

I never said it was a good idea. Making it ok is pushing the idea to me. I am not making it a crime, it is a crime. I happen to agree with it. Yes I do want under age people that are having sex to be punished for it.

I wanted to also clarify. No, you are not making it a crime, but you said in your post about "kids having sex" in general, so I was addressing the general issue.

 

[believe09]

BAC and excessive speed are extremely easy to define, though. They're numbers. Coercive relationships are very very hard to define.

I most certainly wouldn't "punish" a boy legally for telling a girl if you don't have sex with me, I'll break up with you. "If you loved me you would". Would you actually feel that was cause for pressing charges? That's life - and it's now up to the girl to decide whether she wants that lout for a boyfriend anyway. I don't think we have any legal basis to define coercion in a setting like a school. Coercion can certainly be defined in a prison type setting, where you are helpless and don't want abuse.

I dont want to distract from the topic of the thread, but just curious-when does a threat between children rise to the level of punishable coercion for you? Or doesnt it?

 

[believe09]

I guess I'm wondering what it is about sex (assuming consensual, between teens of a reasonable age) that is so bad that they should be punished for it. I'm kind of surprised to see people say that sex should be a punishable offense. I mean sure, I guess if you want to push your own teen for having sex, have at it. But a law to punish all kids for having consensual sex under age 18? I don't see that as either right or effective. It tells teens that sex is dirty and wrong and a crime.

There is something wrong with a country where we think its okay for a 15 year old to shoot guns, but they should be punished for having sex with a peer. :waitasec:

I would counter with we live in a country that allows 18 year olds to vote, but not 14 year olds. I know some 14 year olds who probably have sufficient grasp of social and economic issues to be able to cast a vote, but that isnt the criteria for voting. Age is.

 

[Elley Mae]

What should the punishment be for having consensual sex then?

I can not answer that question.

Consensual sex is something that happens between to adults.
Minors can't consent.

 

[Gabby]

I know Sassygerl and her family personally, and I know the nightmare they have gone through...They will never be the same. Girl in question looks to be older than the 14 she claimed to be.. and the things she posts on her FB page well, never mind... This young man will never be the same, nor will his parents all because a girl lied about her age, and then because she didn't get to 'catch' the guy.

I also have another friend who has gone through something similiar. They have sold all their possessions, used up all their savings, just trying to keep their son from being prosecuted for a crime he didn't committ. He didn't have Sex with that 14 year old. He wouldn't give said girl the time of day, and this was her way of getting back -- He was kicked out of school, couldn't participate in anything school related. And he never had charges brought against him... Grandy Jury no-billed him due to lack of evidence and the fact that he was not even in the county at the time the crime was supposedly committed, as documented in the school records... His life is tarnished and will always be

Now, maybe there are circumstances that are true, as I am sure they are, but I know for a fact that these two lives will forever be changed because of a 'she said' ' situation.

 

[Gardenlady]

Well because presumably at 18, we have an educated citizen. At 14 we don't.

Yes age should play a factor, but the poster said underage kids having sex should be punishable. What if they're the same age? Why would we punish them?! For sex? Yet they can legally shoot a dangerous weapon?

Which act is more dangerous? I think we have a very warped idea of sex in this society.

 

[Gardenlady]

I can not answer that question.

Consensual sex is something that happens between to adults.
Minors can't consent.

Clearly minors can give some sort of consent, if perhaps not in the legal sense, since clearly there are lots of teens under 18 having sex.

Or are you saying that two 16 year olds who have sex willingly are raping each other? :waitasec:

I'm curious still what you think the punishment should be for such a situation.

 

[Elley Mae]

Well because presumably at 18, we have an educated citizen. At 14 we don't.

Yes age should play a factor, but the poster said underage kids having sex should be punishable. What if they're the same age? Why would we punish them?! For sex? Yet they can legally shoot a dangerous weapon?

Which act is more dangerous? I think we have a very warped idea of sex in this society.

The poster does not make up the Laws. If there is a punishment you don't like you should probably talk to your representatives in your district. This is not about same age sex. We would punish them because it's against the law. Yes, you can be punished for underage sex. I don't know how dangerous weapons came into play, but I would advise against it. I would say that the underage sex is more dangerous then a weapon. I do agree with folks having a warped idea about sex.

 

[TheDuchess]

I would think that sneaking your 14 year old girlfriend out of their window at night because their parents won't allow her to see you should be a pretty good indicator that this is not a good idea.

As far as a 17 year old with an August birthday-most friends of mine with children who have an August birthday have told me that they have been given the option of holding their child back a year when entering kindergarten. Some parents feel their child who has literally just turned 5 does not have the maturity level to take on kindergarten at the time. I also know of parents who feel they don't want their child to have the disadvantage of being the youngest person in class and would rather give them the advantage of being the oldest person in their class. Some just want to hold onto their "babies" just a little bit longer and I can't say I blame them. I don't know the reasons for Kaitlyn to be "held back," but there are a variety of very typical reasons this could have been done.

That said-it should be noted that an older senior definitely has an advantage. I was an August baby and was a very young senior and boy was I less mature than my classmates. I had just turned 14 when I entered freshman year and was very immature. It was crazy that some of my classmates were turning 15 and had actually begun learning to drive. Some of them drove themselves to school sophomore year! (I didn't get my license until 17-entering senior year!)

So, in this case, we have one person who technically should be a freshman in college and the other a freshman in high school. And to state that them being "peers" in the same school, same social atmosphere holds no water at all. If this argument were to hold up, then why can't everyone in high school drive? Vote? Why can't everyone in college drink regardless of age. Totally not fair.

The bottom line is that Kaitlyn has clearly broken the law. She needs to plea this down and take some sort of deal, or she is going to get burned in the end.

 

[Gardenlady]

I can not answer that question.

Consensual sex is something that happens between to adults.
Minors can't consent.

Clearly minors can give some sort of consent, if perhaps not in the legal sense, since clearly there are lots of teens under 18 having sex.

Or are you saying that two 16 year olds who have sex willingly are raping each other? :waitasec:

I'm curious still what you think the punishment should be for such a situation.

 

[AnaTeresa]

Clearly minors can give some sort of consent, if perhaps not in the legal sense, since clearly there are lots of teens under 18 having sex.

Or are you saying that two 16 year olds who have sex willingly are raping each other? :waitasec:

I'm curious still what you think the punishment should be for such a situation.

Minors can sort of consent legally, at least in terms of contract law. If a minor enters into a contract while underaged, but ratifies it after reaching majority, it's considered valid. Furthermore, the laws provide for the emancipation of some minors. So clearly, there's a gray area about consent - it's not a black and white, minors cannot consent at all sort of thing.

 

[BeginnersLuck]

Great points made today! After reading over what everyone has to say, I am leaning toward the issue being with the way the laws are written and the punishment being to harsh for consensual relationships within a certain age group. The way the law is written in FL is way to harsh IMO. I will again say that I like the way Indiana's law is written for that age group, where they consider individual circumstances.

I do not know if other states do or do not consider exceptions in these situations. It would only make sense for them to do so. That's why I am interested to see how this plays out in court. I have concerns that the high publicity and the reaction from the 18yr old and her parents may result in a harsher outcome in court. This could all have been avoided had the 18yr old stayed away when the young girls parents told her too. The final straw was when the school (not just one, but several teachers) confronted the parents about the bathroom behavior. Apparently, the coach even said something to the older girl prior. I will wait and see what additional information comes out in court as to form my opinion on the above stated as being "fact" but, if I was a judge considering this case with circumstances, I would have to look at the 18yr olds behavior.

That being said, I would still not find this an offense that warrants jail time or RSO registry. I think a restraining order, education and probation would be warranted and if violated, then yes, harsher punishment would be in order.

 

[hipmomx2]

I have to take what I hear with a grain of salt. I would want to see the file of the person in prison and the circumstances before I would form an opinion. 19 and 16 is within legal standards for a consensual relationship in FL. Being on WS's I have seen many cases where perps falling in the age range have done horrific crimes. I have seen SO advocates claim that they are Romeo Juliet situations using the age as political ploy. I have dug deeper and found the truth in some instances.

The SO advocates will use this as a political platform. I went through the registry of my county once (around 600 SO's) and only found a couple that the R & J laws "may" have applied to. Also, "peeing in public" is considered indecent exposure here and does NOT fall under a crime where you would end up on the registry. Please remember when dealing with SO advocates in your state to know your state laws. Their goal is to abolish the registry completely. They will come in large groups and comment on news articles twisting the truth. That's why I like the way our laws here read and that they do consider circumstances.

I just want people to be aware and educated when and if you find yourself encountering a situation where these truths are twisted. The SO registry is NOT mostly R&J situations and people that have urinated in public.

When you arrive to prison, the first thing that happens is an inmate is going to ask you for your "paperwork" (a court document stating what your charges are). This is for 2 reasons..1. They want to know EXACTLY who and WHAT they are sleeping beside and 2. This is done so a "purse snatcher" can not portray themselves as say a "big shot drug dealer."
It sounds ridiculous but there, it's ALL about your reputation and if you don't present your "paperwork" they have ways of SWIFTLY getting you "relocated" to another part of the prison (usually the infirmary) while they call someone from the outside to find out exactly what your crime is. I saw her paperwork and I assure you the only reason the INMATES allowed her to remain in general population was bc her victim was 16 and not say...10. Its crazy, believe me!