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

[Hejlena]

Good discussion. Here's what is boils down to for me: Parents of both girls and boys should be having frank conversations with their teenagers-boys and girls-about sexual activity. This includes age of consent and the legal ramifications of a person who is an adult (18) having sex with a person who is under the age of 18 or under the age of consent. The report states that Kaitlinn texted someone that she knew there would be consequences for having sex with a 14 year old. She chose to ignore them.

And while I do agree that registering as an offender for eons maybe should be determined on a case by case basis, I also don't buy this whole outrage over 18 year olds being prosecuted for a crime that has been on the books forever--the surprise and outrage and self-justification don't hold water for me.

Kaitlin did the crime. Kaitlinn should do the time.

 

[gitana1]

Per the prosecution, she would not be a sex offender under the plea deal. I don't know if turning it down would pay off for her.

It won't. And I think Florida is going to make an example of her.

Remember this Florida case? http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/12-year-old-accused-murder-rejects-plea-deal/nFf92/

The 12 year old who killed his brother rejected a plea deal that would have had him out at age 21. He thus subsequently faced a mandatory sentence of LIFE: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/05/still-no-plea-deal-for-12-year-old-murder-suspect-in-florida/

Luckily for him, SCOTUS issued a ruling that life sentences cannot be handed down to minors. Thus, he finally was offered a second plea deal which he accepted, having him plead guilty to manslaughter instead of murder 1 (like the other deal) and out by age 19, instead of 21. http://americablog.com/2013/02/cristian-fernandez-plea-bargain-deal.html

Christian was lucky. I well remember being horrified that he didn't accept the deal. There will be no such last minute reprieve ala a supreme court decision in this case. Again, i think Kaitlyn is making a huge mistake.

 

[gitana1]

Good discussion. Here's what is boils down to for me: Parents of both girls and boys should be having frank conversations with their teenagers-boys and girls-about sexual activity. This includes age of consent and the legal ramifications of a person who is an adult (18) having sex with a person who is under the age of 18 or under the age of consent. The report states that Kaitlinn texted someone that she knew there would be consequences for having sex with a 14 year old. She chose to ignore them.

And while I do agree that registering as an offender for eons maybe should be determined on a case by case basis, I also don't buy this whole outrage over 18 year olds being prosecuted for a crime that has been on the books forever--the surprise and outrage and self-justification don't hold water for me.

Kaitlin did the crime. Kaitlinn should do the time.

Well, some laws are unjust. I think 15 years for statutory rape when both kids involved are high school students, is ridiculous. Full grown men rape little girls and do only 7 years or so in some jurisdictions.

I don;t think Kaitlyn should do ANY time for this. I think the law as written is ridiculously harsh and unjust. So, I;m outraged by the possible consequences.

But I am also outraged by Kaitlyn and her parent's attitude - that she is above the law. She seems a bit predatory and weird to me. Again, what 18 year old wants a freshman? IMO, only those who have something wrong with them. And it appears she was the aggressor every time and KNEW she could get in trouble.

Now instead of accepting a fair plea deal, she's crying that she's being persecuted for her sexual orientation. And you know, there very well could be an element of that. I;d have to see that stats. How many kids are prosecuted for statutory rape in her state?

But I;m also kind of getting the vibe that Kaitlynn is a spoiled brat with enabler parents.

The plea deal actually should be what the law provides for teens who engage in this behavior with someone so much younger. Under the circumstances - 4 year age difference, older teen appears to be the aggressor, older teen told to stay away from the minor, twice, older teen assisted the minor in running away, older teen admits she knew she could get in trouble but persisted anyhow - it seems appropriate.

 

[Hejlena]

Well, some laws are unjust. I think 15 years for statutory rape when both kids involved are high school students, is ridiculous. Full grown men rape little girls and do only 7 years or so in some jurisdictions.

I don;t think Kaitlyn should do ANY time for this. I think the law as written is ridiculously harsh and unjust. So, I;m outraged by the possible consequences.

But I am also outraged by Kaitlyn and her parent's attitude - that she is above the law. She seems a bit predatory and weird to me. Again, what 18 year old wants a freshman? IMO, only those who have something wrong with them. And it appears she was the aggressor every time and KNEW she could get in trouble.

Now instead of accepting a fair plea deal, she's crying that she's being persecuted for her sexual orientation. And you know, there very well could be an element of that. I;d have to see that stats. How many kids are prosecuted for statutory rape in her state?

But I;m also kind of getting the vibe that Kaitlynn is a spoiled brat with enabler parents.

The plea deal actually should be what the law provides for teens who engage in this behavior with someone so much younger. Under the circumstances - 4 year age difference, older teen appears to be the aggressor, older teen told to stay away from the minor, twice, older teen assisted the minor in running away, older teen admits she knew she could get in trouble but persisted anyhow - it seems appropriate.

I agree that the proposed sentence is too much. Why in the heck didn't she accept the plea?

 

[insatiable]

I wonder if Kaitlyns parents were aware of them having a sexual relationship when the 14 yr old ran away and spent the night in Kaitlyns room?

 

[JeannaT]

I agree that the proposed sentence is too much. Why in the heck didn't she accept the plea?

Do you realize the "plea" involved the possibility of her being categorized as a sex offender for life? She'd have to accept the plea deal, and then go before a judge who would decide if she would have sex offender for life status.

NO WAY she should accept that. NO WAY.

 

[JeannaT]

I wonder if Kaitlyns parents were aware of them having a sexual relationship when the 14 yr old ran away and spent the night in Kaitlyns room?

I wouldn't have thought that, about my daughter. (I don't have a daughter, actually, only sons). I would have thought my daughter was quite wild and wayward, I wouldn't have imagined she was a lesbian. Girls have sleepovers. That doesn't mean they're lesbians.

 

[JeannaT]

Nope. That is 100% false. You can look at the plea deal for yourself. It's on page 4 of the linked document: http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2013/images/05/24/indian.river.county.report.summary.pdf

NOTHING is mentioned about a sex offender registry or any kind of registry.



Yeah, I saw them. Nothing states a student 18 or older has to have a parent or guardian sign.

This is not really pertinent, but it sounds like you didn't even google it. Prom contracts, Project Graduation contracts. I did google it before responding again, and yes, parents of adult students do sign them. Again, this isn't really all that relevant except to say that 18 year olds are very much the property of public high schools. Google it, honestly.

 

[insatiable]

I wouldn't have thought that, about my daughter. (I don't have a daughter, actually, only sons). I would have thought my daughter was quite wild and wayward, I wouldn't have imagined she was a lesbian. Girls have sleepovers. That doesn't mean they're lesbians.

That's why I wondered if they were aware or not. Maybe they knew she was a lesbian and having a relationship with the 14 yr old. ...... Maybe they didn't know anything at all but maybe they did.

 

[insatiable]

e:

This is not really pertinent, but it sounds like you didn't even google it. Prom contracts, Project Graduation contracts. I did google it before responding again, and yes, parents of adult students do sign them. Again, this isn't really all that relevant except to say that 18 year olds are very much the property of public high schools. Google it, honestly.

The High School in my city does not do this. From googling I see that some schools do and some don't. I don't know about Vero Beach, FL..

 

[JeannaT]

Here's the CNN article that says if she accepted this plea deal, she's have to plead guilty to child abuse. NO. I wouldn't allow my daughter to do that. That shuts doors, for her, for her whole life.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/24/justice/florida-teen-sex-case/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

 

[insatiable]

Here's the CNN article that says if she accepted this plea deal, she's have to plead guilty to child abuse. NO. I wouldn't allow my daughter to do that. That shuts doors, for her, for her whole life.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/24/justice/florida-teen-sex-case/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

She knew what she was doing was against the law yet she chose to continue doing it even though she knew something like this may happen.
What about the 14yr old child who was violated? What about how this is going to affect her life?

She doesn't get a free pass just because she is a lesbian which is exactly why people are making a stink about this. If it were a male no one would think twice about it.

 

[JeannaT]

She knew what she was doing was against the law yet she chose to continue doing it even though she knew something like this may happen.
What about the 14yr old child who was violated? What about how this is going to affect her life?

She doesn't get a free pass just because she is a lesbian which is exactly why people are making a stink about this. If it were a male no one would think twice about it.

To me, that's the whole point of this whole ordeal. I am really really angry that boys who are 18 get lifelong sentences for having sex with their beloved girlfriends who are 3 years younger.

And yet, the country is a bit turned upside down by this girl who wants to have sex with her girl lover, frankly because lesbian sex is more politically correct.

NONE OF IT IS FAIR. NONE OF IT. Teenagers having loving sex with teenagers shouldn't ruin their lives, ever, whatever their gender.

 

[EmmaliLucia]

She knew what she was doing was against the law yet she chose to continue doing it even though she knew something like this may happen.
What about the 14yr old child who was violated? What about how this is going to affect her life?

She doesn't get a free pass just because she is a lesbian which is exactly why people are making a stink about this. If it were a male no one would think twice about it.

Actually, if this was a guy, they'd make a HUGE fuss over how lenient the plea deal is.

I mean seriously, they'd been dating for a few months, according to the parents they wanted Kate to stop seeing their daughter and told her to stop seeing their daughter at least twice. their daughter snuck out of the house to go stay with Kate. And let's top this off with they were CAUGHT HAVING SEX IN THE SCHOOL BATHROOM.

I'm sorry, both of them SHOULD be expelled (Or at least severely punished) for that alone, that's disgusting. That's a public place.

 

[jjenny]

Here's the CNN article that says if she accepted this plea deal, she's have to plead guilty to child abuse. NO. I wouldn't allow my daughter to do that. That shuts doors, for her, for her whole life.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/24/justice/florida-teen-sex-case/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

As opposed to what? What is her defense going to be, exactly?

 

[jjenny]

Do you realize the "plea" involved the possibility of her being categorized as a sex offender for life? She'd have to accept the plea deal, and then go before a judge who would decide if she would have sex offender for life status.

NO WAY she should accept that. NO WAY.

YOu seem to think the alternative to accepting a plea deal is for her to go free without any punishment. But if she is convicted, she is facing 15 years in prison. I guess this is way, way, way better.

 

[jjenny]

That's why I wondered if they were aware or not. Maybe they knew she was a lesbian and having a relationship with the 14 yr old. ...... Maybe they didn't know anything at all but maybe they did.

Mother of the 18 year old seems to know she was dating this girl. She posts how her daughter always dated boys, so it was unusal for her, but then the mother didn't want to make a big deal of the situation (I presume she knew the two were dating). Otherwise, what did she not want to make a big deal of?

 

[Zuckerschnecke]

I would hate to see this case turn into a lesbian/gay rights case because I agree there shouldn't be a double-standard. I feel strongly that it needs to be left out of any punishment and it doesn't bode well for them that Kaitlyn's family will start playing that card. It's going to hurt them in the end and I agree with Gintanna that she is going to be made an example.

While I think the punishment is harsh, and from Kaitlyn's birthday in August of 2012 until she started the relationship, it's not like she suddenly matured and became aware of the laws and repercussions during that time-frame. I do feel it's unfair. However, that she send a text asking the younger girl if 'she liked girls' leads me to believe the younger girl could have been manipulated by someone 4 years older. Who knows what family life the younger one had that could have lead her to think Kaitlyn was some kind of savior - I mean, she ran away and why???? Because of the relationship or other problems? Kids just don't run away for now reason.

What was the answer from the younger one when Kaitlyn asked her that question and how did it proceed from there? Going to court could force discomfort for the younger girl, but there is so much detail left out of the complaint that it could stand to reason that Kaitlyn will look aggressive.

Why was Kaitlyn seemingly graduating one year later than others normally would? Was she held back once?

 

[believe09]

But I am also outraged by Kaitlyn and her parent's attitude - that she is above the law. She seems a bit predatory and weird to me. Again, what 18 year old wants a freshman? IMO, only those who have something wrong with them. And it appears she was the aggressor every time and KNEW she could get in trouble.

I feel, very strongly, the same way.

Someone was "clever" in choosing to vilify the victims family with the same sex aspect and choosing to take to social media instead of fighting fair. This does not make it so-as others pointed out, it gives an opportunity to feed outrage without paying attention to the details of the case.

I think she is predatory and weird as well, to use gitana's words. She should have taken the plea deal, and I think the mandatory psych aspect might have given her a chance to explore the predatory aspect of her crime and help her get a handle on that.

 

[believe09]

I would hate to see this case turn into a lesbian/gay rights case because I agree there shouldn't be a double-standard. I feel strongly that it needs to be left out of any punishment and it doesn't bode well for them that Kaitlyn's family will start playing that card. It's going to hurt them in the end and I agree with Gintanna that she is going to be made an example.

While I think the punishment is harsh, and from Kaitlyn's birthday in August of 2012 until she started the relationship, it's not like she suddenly matured and became aware of the laws and repercussions during that time-frame. I do feel it's unfair. However, that she send a text asking the younger girl if 'she liked girls' leads me to believe the younger girl could have been manipulated by someone 4 years older. Who knows what family life the younger one had that could have lead her to think Kaitlyn was some kind of savior - I mean, she ran away and why???? Because of the relationship or other problems? Kids just don't run away for now reason.

What was the answer from the younger one when Kaitlyn asked her that question and how did it proceed from there? Going to court could force discomfort for the younger girl, but there is so much detail left out of the complaint that it could stand to reason that Kaitlyn will look aggressive.

Why was Kaitlyn seemingly graduating one year later than others normally would? Was she held back once?

BBM. IIRC, she was spoken to by the parents via FB chat about repercussions, and a log of the conversation was provided to LE. She persisted.

She is an adult under the law, although I get she is a teen. But the age range and social skills range between freshmen and seniors is the Grand Canyon imo. There is something very odd here regarding the persistence.

In any case, the sexual orientation aspect is being sensationalized to deflect from the facts. I wish she had taken the deal for many reasons, one of them being care and concern for the child she took advantage of.