OH - Joshua Lunsford for sexual conduct w/ 14yo girl, Springfield, 2007

[mom3dd]

if these parents can not control their 14 year old this wont be the last call to the police they have to make.

You know what I would llike to see you control a 14 yr old that has no fear or care of others opinions. They know that there is nothing anyone is going to do to them. My friends daughter said what are you going to do to me? Put me in jail. Won't happen. My daughter went out her bedroom window didn't catch on until way to late. She would always be up for school. Electic went out and I went down to wake her up and she was crawling in the window. I really am t'd at your statement. IMO

 

[sherri79]

we are not talking about a girl who was sneaking out at 2am while her parents slept. they knew she was seeing this boy. i thought i knew everything at that age and was in a rush to do it all. when i lived with my parents they threw their hands up. "she is gonna do what she wants no matter what we say" this is what they told people when asked why i smoked or dated a guy who was 21 at 15. when my grandmother took me in she told me she would rather see me sit in jail than die in a gutter. she believed if i did not stop i would end up dead, addicted, or pregnant. when my parents said they would call the cops i did not stop, i did not think they would really let me sit in jail. when my grandmother said it i knew she would. i thank god for that woman. she probably saved my life or at least saved me from a life i would have hated. if they can not stop her at 14 how will they stop her at 16? imo it will get worse if they dont find a way to deal with their child. this boy goes to jail and another 1 will come along.

 

[Texana]

This is why we have a on year up or down rule with our 14 y/o, who's not dating yet (let me tell you again why ballet is very, very good to us.)

We started telling both our daughters that a long time ago, before they met Mr. Right or really, Mr. Wrong.

A 14 y/o girl just hasn't got the ability to handle an 18 year old man, let alone a 16 y/o one.

I'm surprised the warning didn't take with the boy.

Although, given what's happened to his sister, maybe he's acting out and deserves probation more than jail time.

Then again, he's still responsible for his own life.

Remember the guy who killed the three women touring the national park--was it Yellowstone? Whose brother had been abducted as a child and then, I think, returned? What was his name?

Ye gods, that was a horrendous case.

Let's hope this is a wake up call to Jessica's family. It must be so hard to parent after what happened to her--especially an older teen.

 

[bakerprune64]

This is why we have a on year up or down rule with our 14 y/o, who's not dating yet (let me tell you again why ballet is very, very good to us.)

We started telling both our daughters that a long time ago, before they met Mr. Right or really, Mr. Wrong.

A 14 y/o girl just hasn't got the ability to handle an 18 year old man, let alone a 16 y/o one.

I'm surprised the warning didn't take with the boy.

Although, given what's happened to his sister, maybe he's acting out and deserves probation more than jail time.

Then again, he's still responsible for his own life.

Remember the guy who killed the three women touring the national park--was it Yellowstone? Whose brother had been abducted as a child and then, I think, returned? What was his name?

Ye gods, that was a horrendous case.

Let's hope this is a wake up call to Jessica's family. It must be so hard to parent after what happened to her--especially an older teen.

His name was Cary Stayner and his yonger brother Steven was abducted and held captive by a freaking perverted SOB for several years, until Steven escaped with a new victim Timmy White. This promted the movie "I know my first name is Steven." This happened right here in my town, and the murders that Cary committed were in Yosmite National Park. I have friends we knew Cary as a younger boy (pre-steven's abduction) and he was a jacked up physcopath long before his brother was kidnapped.

 

[txsvicki]

I only had one son, but I couldn't tell much difference in maturity between age 16 and 18. If this girl had been going with a boy her own age or just a year or two older she would still have had sexual contact or fondling if she thought she was in love and allowed it to happen. I don't think a kid under age 18 can be charged as a pervert so the girl's parents wouldn't have been able to take advantage of this law.

 

[Ntegrity]

You know what I would llike to see you control a 14 yr old that has no fear or care of others opinions.

I agree with you. Even the courts won't deal firmly enough with juveniles to put the "fear of God" into 'em.

 

[kygal]

Okay, he did it, and he needs to be punished. He was keenly aware that the parents didn't approve of the relationship. However, I'd have to say that there are VERY few girls at 14 that are dating guys close to their own age -- and most of those that are not allowed to probably don't date at all.

Why?

Because girls mature faster than boys and boys that age aren't very mature. I know that at 14, I'd rather have been shot than have to date anyone in my grade or one above -- and no way in h##l was I about to date one below. The boys in my class were more like my little brother in 6th grade than me.

Just to make a point. I was not allowed to date until 16 and then only allowed to date boys no more than one year older than me. Thus, because the guys in that pool were too immature for me, I just didn't date. In the process, here is a few of the things that was said about me:

I was a "nun wannabe" and would be joining a convent right after school

I was a lesbian

I was really abused by my dad and I didn't want a guy to find out (to the point that my dad was nearly picked up by CPS)

I didn't date anyone in particular; I just slept with anyone at anytime (which was NOT true)

I was just being picky and thought I was "too good" for anyone

*This was all done by OTHER GIRLS, several of whom were dating college boys by 16 and able to do whatever they wanted. I nearly quit high school altogether because of this, and had to be moved to a private school by my senior year over the harrassment. (School refused to do anything and said that it was my fault for not finding someone to "deal with" until I was old enought to date someone else.)

POINT IS: girls today are under a lot more pressure about who they date than boys are. It REALLY is all about peer pressure. So before you blast the girl, she might also have thought that others would do something similar to that and she was more afraid of the other kids in her school than the parents anyway.

 

[txsvicki]

I was probably the talk of my school years ago. Girls only dated guys in our class or age group. I was 15 and by boyfriend was 20. My mother really liked him, and still does. My stepdad tried to run him off once, but it didn't work so they let me date and and I saw him off and on until I was 20 years old. He wasn't a pervert or trying to take advantage of me either. Other than the age difference, my biggest problem with peers was that we were seen at the fair and the girls all thought that I was dating a Mexican which was considered horrible by all the bigots here in Texas back then. He was just tanned and dark and part Cherokee. Girls can really be mean over other people's lives.

 

[southcitymom]

When I was a sophmore in high school, I dated a junior in high school. I was young for my grade and he was old for his grade so I was 14 and he was 17. He was a shy guy and I was not a shy girl, and I was WAY more aggressive, sexual and otherwise, than he was.

When my Dad found out our age difference, he didn't want me seeing this boy....though in reality, I was more of a threat to this boy's mental and emotional health than he was to mine! And from personal experience, I can say that a strong-willed 14-year-old girl will do whatever she wants to do.

All of that is neither here nor there, but I agree that to charge the boy in this case as a pedophile weakens the pedophile laws.

 

[Amraann]

You know what I would llike to see you control a 14 yr old that has no fear or care of others opinions. They know that there is nothing anyone is going to do to them. My friends daughter said what are you going to do to me? Put me in jail. Won't happen. My daughter went out her bedroom window didn't catch on until way to late. She would always be up for school. Electic went out and I went down to wake her up and she was crawling in the window. I really am t'd at your statement. IMO

You can control a 14 YO. Its really a battle of the wills but trust me at 14 there will be something that can be taken away that will prompt them to make better choices.
Ideally these conversations about respect for ones own family and following rules should begin very young ... But I think most of us know that teenagers are hormonally enraged over grown toddlers. Often their reasoning skills have simply left the building.
My daughter now 18 never pulled any stunts like that but she was still a teen and would get mouthy. I would just remember the attitude and when she wanted something (as they always do) I would say no and remind her of the few days before.
There is ALWAYS something that can be taken away as discipline.
More often then not I swear its punishing ourselves trying to discipline a teenager.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Maybe this woman should keep her 14 year old at home or chaperon her to skating rinks and the movies. Why was her 14 yr old allowed to date an older boy anyway?

She imo is in this for her 15 minutes of fame. She's well aware of the hell this family has gone through. Her daughter consented to whatever occurred. The mom should have handled this by keeping her daughter under control and by speaking to Mark personally. Shame on her for not controlling her daughter and for causing Mark more grief.

agree

 

[Bobbisangel]

So Mark's son just turned 18 yrs. I wonder how close to 15 yrs the girl is.
I don't understand how the mother knew that some hanky panky was going on unless she was watching them. They must have known that the kids meet at the skating rink and yet they let their daughter go there. I just wonder if this doesn't have something to do with the father going up to Josh and grabbing him around the neck and choking him and the father being charged. Did Josh actually fondle the girl or were they just making out and that got added to the story.

So many girls look so much older than their real ages these days. They dress older too. I realize that Josh knew how old this girl is but I wonder if she looks older and therefore isn't interested in boys her age.

My granddaughter was never interested in boys her age from about 6th grade on. She said that they act immature and silly. As she got older and old enough to date she never dated a boy her age. She still thought that they were to immature. Isn't it said that girls mature about 3 years ahead of boys at the same age?

I wonder what this girl will have to say if Joshua goes to trial. He does sound like a good kid and seems to have some goals for his future. I hope that things work out for him. If Josh hasn't called Mark I wonder why Mark...as the dad...hasn't called his son? Maybe he has talked to him and just figures that it isn't anyone's business what they had to say to each other. That's how I would probably feel. Mark's whole life doesn't have to be an open book to the media.

 

[sherri79]

So Mark's son just turned 18 yrs. I wonder how close to 15 yrs the girl is.
I don't understand how the mother knew that some hanky panky was going on unless she was watching them. They must have known that the kids meet at the skating rink and yet they let their daughter go there. I just wonder if this doesn't have something to do with the father going up to Josh and grabbing him around the neck and choking him and the father being charged. Did Josh actually fondle the girl or were they just making out and that got added to the story.

So many girls look so much older than their real ages these days. They dress older too. I realize that Josh knew how old this girl is but I wonder if she looks older and therefore isn't interested in boys her age.

My granddaughter was never interested in boys her age from about 6th grade on. She said that they act immature and silly. As she got older and old enough to date she never dated a boy her age. She still thought that they were to immature. Isn't it said that girls mature about 3 years ahead of boys at the same age?

I wonder what this girl will have to say if Joshua goes to trial. He does sound like a good kid and seems to have some goals for his future. I hope that things work out for him. If Josh hasn't called Mark I wonder why Mark...as the dad...hasn't called his son? Maybe he has talked to him and just figures that it isn't anyone's business what they had to say to each other. That's how I would probably feel. Mark's whole life doesn't have to be an open book to the media.

the story said it was 1 month from not being a crime. 3 years is not a crime and 3years 1 month is so the girl must be very close to 15. the day he turned 18 she would be about a month from her birthday.

 

[tennessee]

My daughter's boyfriend is 3 years older than her and I really think that she is much more mature than him. They act like their ages are reversed. There is no way in the world I would ever press charges against him unless he beat her or turned into a stalking, control freak.

Of course I want to think that she is virginal but I know how I and my friends were as teens and she is just like her mom. I made the call to start her on birth control a couple of years ago. I talk to her all the time about STDs and that I do not want her to die, risk infertility, etc. Parents need to be more open and discuss these things. You can express that you want them to abstain. However, you need to let them know they can come to you with anything and you will always be there to help them out.

Girls do look more mature and even though their parents might think they are little sweetiepies, they rarely are. I know parents who think their children would never smoke, drink, curse or have sex. However those same little darlings are out every chance they get getting some or getting stoned.

I always thought that I would be more worried about my daughter. It is my son I am scared to death for when he gets older. I am worried that parents like I described above will be the parents of his girlfriends.

 

[fran]

http://www.chronicleonline.com/articles/2007/07/17/news/news40.txt

Lunsford’s son gets 10-day jail sentence

By Dave Pieklik

Mark Lunsford’s son will spend the next 10 days in jail, but will not be registered as a sex offender after being sentenced Monday for having unlawful sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl.

.............see link for article..................

 

[Bobbisangel]

http://www.chronicleonline.com/articles/2007/07/17/news/news40.txt

Lunsford’s son gets 10-day jail sentence

By Dave Pieklik

Mark Lunsford’s son will spend the next 10 days in jail, but will not be registered as a sex offender after being sentenced Monday for having unlawful sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl.

.............see link for article..................

That is good news. I wonder if he was ordered to stay away from the girl?
For his sake I hope that he does because I doubt that her parents are going to change their minds and it just sounds like trouble to me if they continue to try and see each other...even without any sexual play. If there is something between them it will last until she is older.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I never dated guys my own age in high school because they were too immature. Besides...they were much worse than the older ones as far as being grabby etc. The older guys had more respect which I appreciated, too.

 

[KarlK]

I don't think that the boy should be charged with a crime if the two had been going together for quite awhile and if he had done this last year, maybe he wouldn't be charged with a thing.

Or even if he lived in a different state. One where either 14 is the legal age of consent or where a 5-year age difference is required to to press statutory rape charges.