I don't quite know what to make of this: the English Wikipedia article has zero information about Pete Townshend's listing on the "sex offender" registry. In the German Wikipedia, the story is described in detail:

Pete Townshend wrote about the child-pornography scene and the current witch-hunt mentality. The police arrested him because they found his credit-card number in the records of a child-pornography site. He stated that he had indeed visited this site as part of the research for his writing.

The police did not find any child pornography in his possession. Hence, they did not prosecute him, but instead issued an official warning. Accepting this warning technically consistuted admission of guilt - hence, his inclusion on the sex-offender registry. Unstated: he probably had to accept the warning or be prosecuted anyway.

Sad thing is, with all the public urination arrests and people with pictures of themselves the "sex offender" registry is a joke.

I read an article a while back - seems a man was arrested on child porn charges, caught with a camera in his hand. At a football game, taking pictures for his high schools newspaper

Disgusting. It's clear that Townshend considered himself a crusader against child pornography, and was trying to demonstrate how easily it was obtained in Britain despite being illegal. If these nitwits were interested in anything beyond self-promotion, they could have taken 5 minutes to read what Townshend wrote. He was motivated to speak out in memory of a friend who was abused as a child and later committed suicide. Sounds like a sick bastard, eh Protect our Children?

Well, the bottom line is The Who presented the best Superbowl Half-time show in history.

I've always admired the man. After yesterday's half time show, even more so. (And, how 'bout those SAINTS!!)

c'mon people, every man is a potential monster...

Y'know, based on what they DIDN'T find going through Pete's stuff with a microscope... I don't think his research is lame at all. Unlike the actual proof they have on Roman.

Dunno what value that list has. IF there is a high recidivism rate [and I hear this is the case.] Then the punishment for actual crime must be higher. Essentially you can't let them out of jail. So having a list that tell you where they are is stupid. It's like having the fox tell you which henhouse he lives next to. It doesn't protect the hens. Then the burden of proving actual crime is also much higher and kids sending each other pictures simply doesn't match up as a crime.

Y'know people who have actually done crime, end up on the registry, but what makes them keep their address current? They have to be caught again, unless you have some kind of system that is constantly checking up on them, and we don't have one.

Pedophiles are flawed humans that cannot be rehabilitated and should be poster children for the death penalty. If you kill them you do not have to worry about tracking them

As a mother of daughters - 2 of whom were molested by a family "friend," I really resent the fact that the registry is so watered down by the over-zealous morons who want to label everyone a predator. I wish it had remained what it was intended to be, a useful tool for parents to keep track of potential problems. It has rapidly evolved into a big joke. Thankfully the perv that went after my girls is sitting in prison and will rot there until the day he dies.

If he was researching child porn, he knew what the laws were and should have consulted a lawyer before doing anything. Assuming it WAS connected to his book.

If it WASN'T connected to his book, then frankly, I'm not sure that paying someone to rape children for your amusement is much better than doing it yourself. Indirect, yes, but same result.

I don't buy Townsend's defense for a minute, by the way. You don't need to visit kiddie porn sites to research child abuse; I imagine anything you can think of has been done and is available via the net. (But then again, I don't have an artistic mind.)

Still, it's an interesting read:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/petetownshend1.html

"Assuming it WAS connected to his book." NicoleK

So based on what you know... that they found a CC# in the database of a site... and nothing else, even though they did do forensics on his computer and such...

What is the nature of your doubt? Just because he is a man? He may have known the law to an extent but did he know that MERELY viewing a site, regardless of intent, would put you on a list as an offender? It's obvious that a lawyer suggested that he just settle rather than try to prove his reasons, since the trial would have been a circus in the media.

He may have been ill-advised to start this on his own. But then there are a lot of individuals who don't appreciate that people make a specific assumption about you on certain subjects, and it doesn't matter what the truth is.

http://www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.html

I have been reading and enjoying this blog for several months, but have never commented before now. I don't pretend to know any solutions, but I can provide this link, and my own perspective on registration and recidivism.

I am a convicted SO. I served 6 years in fed and state prisons, and have completed 2 of my 3 years of fed supervised release (probation). As a condition of such, I have weekly therapy classes and am subject to bi-annual polygraphs. I must register for the rest of my life.

I truly regret my crimes, and have no one to blame but myself. I was 46 when arrested. I'd never been in trouble before. I knew what I was doing was illegal, but I arrogantly did it anyway. I thought it was ok because they "wanted" it. I now know it was my responsibility as an adult to resist the temptations of these girls who were just trying to gain acceptance as adults, as nearly all teens do in some way.

I can only speak for myself, but 6 years in prison was enough. I have two convictions- I was arrested for one crime, then another girl made an outcry during the investigation. (I didn't get caught, adjudicated, and then do it again.) I know without a doubt that a third conviction will mean that I die in prison. I will never take that risk again. Freedom is so very precious after you've lost and regained it. I am 100% compliant with all conditions of my probation. In therapy, I am gaining valuable insights and learning controls for relapse prevention, but really, that flashing neon sign in the front of my brain that says "3rd conviction, die in prison" is enough.

Most of my friends and family have forgiven me, and are happy to see me doing well today. I know there are some people who will always fear and despise me and "my kind." Fair or not, that's the price I pay, the consequences of my actions. I accept it- I'm just happy to be in the free world again.

In the 2 years since my release, I've had no negative repercussions from being a registered SO (yet?), but I live in a big city, and there are so many of us now that I don't think many people pay much attention anymore. I guess I can be grateful for that, but it says something about the effectiveness of the system of SO registration.

I'm just one of many- over 600,000 in the US today, I think I read somewhere. I don't know if I've contributed to anyone else's understanding today, but I don't mind responding to respectful questions.

I thought it was ok because they "wanted" it. I now know it was my responsibility as an adult to resist the temptations of these girls who were just trying to gain acceptance as adults, as nearly all teens do in some way.

6 years in prison was enough. I have two convictions- I was arrested for one crime, then another girl made an outcry during the investigation. (I didn't get caught, adjudicated, and then do it again.)

Completely disgusted by this. Because honestly, I think if you thought for one second you could do it and get away with it, you'd be all over it. So I don't think you should be free to walk among us no matter how small the threat may be. You sir are a pedophile, you justified having sex with young girls - how old were they, 12, 13? Or is that too young for you, perhaps you went for the older, more mature girls - you know 15 or 16. Either way, personally, I think you should have rotted in hell after your first offense. You sir are the reason the SO registry exists and why it pisses me off that it's being watered down with stupid crap...which as you so smartly pointed out, makes your life as a SO so much easier.

Sorry Amy, didn't mean to bash someone on your blog. While his insight may be valuable, it makes me sick that he's free to cruise the internet. Let's just hope that he's not looking for his next victims.

My doubt arises, SwissArmy, because his credit card number was found on the site. So obviously he visited it. Just because he didn't visit it from home doesn't mean he didn't visit it. If he was a she I'd say the same thing.

And who the hell doesn't know that visiting kiddie porn sites is illegal and could get you listed on a registry? Someone who is investigating kiddie porn should have been able to figure that out.

gt23, I'm glad you are doing better. Well done.

And in the category of You Really Shouldn't Laugh But You Will Anyway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8QwgfYiVpk

NicoleK, many sites of all kinds require your CC# to prove that you are of age, you aren't actually buying anything, and nobody said that he didn't do this from home either, but he didn't download anything... That fact that he wasn't charged, and was instead warned should be enough to clear him... but apparently neither he nor his lawyer knew that accepting the warning was tanamount to accepting guilt. They didn't have anything to charge him with, so in the US you might call that entrapment.

Thereto, if you are doing research on something, you might not be able to be quite so direct. I follow the blog on occasion of a guy in Japan that follows both the police and the Yakuza, and there are things that skirt law there. If you were exposing underground of raves, for example, and you went to one, should you be rounded up, with the rest of everyone... or is it a matter of degree?

Love it Gog!

"You got some Fucked up friends!" -Tyler Durden

If you went to a rave, you probably would be rounded up with everyone else, yes. And it certainly would be your responsibility to check up on whether or not you were likely to get rounded up.

So, sara...

(Exercise follows. I don't advocate this action.)

Why not find him and kill him? That's what you want, right? Since the victims and their families failed, you should step up, right?

Or are you the kind of person who wants the State to do everything for her? Are you the kind of person who thinks that keeping a man in a cage forever is more "humane" than killing him?

Never mind that he might have family to provide for. To hell with them, right?

-----

There are a LOT of people who don't do things because they might get caught. You'll have a lot of killing to do if that's all you can think of.

Meanwhile, teach your sons and daughters to have some self-respect, and to seek companions they can grow with. That's their best defense against predators, often related closely to the victim.

Rad, first of all, I think you're an ass.

Personally, I'm ok with pedophiles rotting away in jail. I would prefer they live out their time locked in a cell with lots of time to think about what they did, and no time to enjoy the freedom of society. Do I think keeping the poster locked up is more humane? Yes, infinitely more humane for his victims in that they won't ever have to worry about crossing paths with him again. Tough sh*t if gt23 has a family to provide for. Guess he should have thought about that before he acted. Does that mean I don't feel sympathy for his family? No. I feel deeply for them. It's hell living through that. It was hell for my daughters dealing with the guilt and shame they felt for what happened and then they had the added joy of going through a legal investigation as well as the criminal justice system. How enjoyable do you think that was Rad?? Do you think my daughters or I didn't deal with emotional fall out, or that perhaps nearly a decade later, we are still dealing with it? Trust me, it rears its ugly head in the strangest ways.

There are a LOT of people who don't do things because they might get caught. You'll have a lot of killing to do if that's all you can think of.

As for this lame ass comment - did you miss the point that I was directing my comments to the pedophile who posted?

Meanwhile, teach your sons and daughters to have some self-respect, and to seek companions they can grow with. That's their best defense against predators, often related closely to the victim.

Not only are you ignorant, but you're arrogant. This was an adult male, 56 years old, who was a friend of our family's for many years. A trusted friend of my parents. Not a relationship that my children went out and cultivated. Now let's talk about the guilt my father and mother feel because they feel responsible. Do you have any idea what it's like for the family of victims of sexual abuse? Or, what they live with every day of their life?

"...MERELY viewing a site, regardless of intent, would put you on a list as an offender?"

That is precisely the problem with current laws. Let's leave Mr. Townshend aside for the moment. It is entirely possible for anyone to wind up on a kiddie-porn site. Click a link in a forum, get a virus on your computer, make a typo in a web-address - any of these could lead to a site you don't really want to visit.

Once you have visited such a site, illegal images are on your computer. Close your browser, even erase the cache (how many people know how to do that?), and there are still illegal images on your disk. Very few people in such a situation would have any idea how to get rid of them.

Laws like this are scary, and the blind zealousness with which they are enforced is more so. Acts involving real children should be illegal. Purchasing images of illegal acts should be illegal. Just seeing images - that could happen to you tomorrow...

> I don't buy Townsend's defense for a
> minute, by the way.

I'll read the link Eric, but what's your feeling about the guy generally? Does any good come from pestering him about this?

No big opinion here. People shouldn't pester children, but people shouldn't be psychotically afraid, either: "inciting another to distribute child pornography" is a pretty convoluted allegation, especially on a listing next to "National Football League" as a "known affiliation".

"Not only are you ignorant, but you're arrogant."

Wrong. What I said is backed up by facts. Amy has reported on this subject many times; perhaps you missed that, as well as everything else out there on the subject. Righteousness is preferable to thinking. Wallowing in pain is, too, for many who can't help it. Your emotional argument is simply unsound. The, "you don't suffer, so you don't know" excuse just justifies perpetual hate, to the exclusion of many other things you should be doing.

Like thinking about other posts I have made, where I demonstrate that yes, I think about all of the things you are ready to accuse me of overlooking.

It's eating you alive. If you can't find some outlet, you'll die bitter, and the criminal's victory over you will be complete.

Maybe it is.

It's eating you alive. If you can't find some outlet, you'll die bitter, and the criminal's victory over you will be complete.

Maybe it is.

What do you know Rad? From both of your posts directed to me, you know nothing! I don't want the government to do all the dirty work. My daughters were able to sit on the witness stand and assist the government in doing the right thing - which is to put the offender behind bars for what will literally be the rest of his life. They have not allowed this to define who they are. Both my daughters have gone on with rich and fulfilling lives. One is married with a beautiful little boy and the other is on her way to graduating summa cum laude from a top notch university and is one of the top rowers on her college's crew team.

Of course I went through a period where I blamed myself for what happened, but it doesn't eat me alive, nor am I bitter. I work with the victim advocate in my area because they were invaluable while we navigated through some pretty rough waters. I speak to groups about our experience and our family was part of a documentary on the subject of sexual abuse. These things have allowed us to look at the subject of sexual abuse from many different perspectives, as well as helped us heal, as a family.

What I posted to gt23 still stands. As far as I'm concerned he should be behind bars for the rest of his life. He robbed at least 2 young girls of part of their childhood - no matter how badly he thought they wanted it. This wasn't some guy who walked into a bar and hooked up with what he thought was a 21 year old hottie. This is a man who groomed at least two young girls for his own perverted pleasure and then justified it to himself that they were asking for it. And how many others do you suppose he abused that didn't come forward because of the shame they felt? Or how many do you suppose tried to abuse, and they just didn't get with his program? Perhaps you think since it was only 2, then he's not as bad as some serial molester who has done this to hundreds of girls therefore he should be given a pass. I mean afterall he's quite sorry now for what he did. Of course that was after being in jail for a number of years and now he doesn't re-offend because he's afraid of going back to jail, not because he doesn't have the desire. Look up recitivism rates Rad. Jail and therapy don't "cure" a pedophile. All it does is teaches them to either a) be more careful in their selection process; or b) to control their impulse. That's if society is lucky. So keep convicted pedophiles locked up and let them rot away. Better that than a young child being abused by some sick pervert.

So don't talk to me about my "emotional" argument. Hell yes I'm emotional about this topic. I'm also passionate about using our experience as a teaching tool so other families don't have to live through the nightmare we did.

GT23, had I my way, you would be dead, not enjoying freedom, not being "forgiven" by friends and family. You say you've been through therapy etc etc, but you're STILL blaming your VICTIMS by saying "even though they were asking for it". Kids can't ask for it. Do the world a favor and off yourself. I imagine secretly even your family would be grateful.

momof4 - I couldn't agree with you more about his still blaming his victims. He is not in any way "reformed."

A well liked and admired base commander of the military (not mentioning where) with a 26 year career in the forces was charged with the murder and sexual assault of several women. He was to many people a very nice man, a mentor, and a good husband. He even loved animals so much that before he cut the lawn, he would make sure there were no little critters like frogs hiding in the grass. When the first s/a victim came forth, the police did not believe her. It wasn't until he terrorized more women and sent two to their graves that she was taken seriously. To add to this, he was her neighbour. Pedophiles and/or sexual predators can be ANYONE. I don't let anyone know when I am home alone.

So GT23, here is your moment of clarity. What blaming your victims means to you, is a matter of mindset about what decisions an adult can make versus a kid.
Even in our 20's our brains change quite a bit, but in our teens the rate of change is quite high. We have the intelligence and vocabulary to appear to act like an adult. What we do not have is the ability to make the best decisions... ESPECIALLY when it comes to understanding the ramifications of those decisions.

This is why we refer to a teen as a child for legal purposes.

You, on the other hand, are a full blown adult, expreienced and fully understanding the ramifications of your actions.

The young teen CANNOT give you permission, REGARDLESS of what she says. This is not only a legal thing, but in terms of human maturity. You lead them astray, you pay.

As when you don't let a 5 year old eat candy until they puke, your victims were not old enough to make any consent. This is why it is entirely your fault, and why you raise so much ire. The fact that you believe they are partly to blame means that you do not understand the nature of what you have done. This isn't just about a leagal line, that you may think they were hiding behind. They can look like and act like adults, but that doesn't mean they are. As an adult, you understand what that means. You take responsibility for their actions and your own.

Either you will bear the weight of that, or you will be buried by it.

SwissArmy - I think that perhaps the most irritating things to me in his post were these bits:

"...my responsibility as an adult to resist the temptations of these girls who were just trying to gain acceptance as adults, as nearly all teens do in some way."

Resist the temptations?!?! WTF?!?!

"... I was arrested for one crime, then another girl made an outcry during the investigation. (I didn't get caught, adjudicated, and then do it again.)

So the fact that he didn't do his time then go out and do it again lessens his responsibility in the matter? Surely it was the second girls' fault because she came forward to rat him out!

My guess is gt23 is a school teacher. He's surrounded by those naughty school girls that wear their skirts too short and their blouses too low cut and revealing and he just couldn't help himself!

Am I wrong gt23, were you a school teacher?

Please note that when I gave my justification it was in past tense. "Wanted it" was in parentheses. It was the mindset I had before prison and therapy. Today, I do feel guilt. I feel shame. I feel remorse. I take full responsibility for my actions.

Maybe I don’t deserve the second chance I have been given, but I have it, and I intend to use it to be a good son, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, employee, tax-paying citizen- a responsible and productive member of society- for the rest of my life. That’s the only way I know to make amends. Many people still love me, in spite of my failures- for that I am truly grateful, and I will strive to never hurt another human being again. I will definitely never have sexual contact with another minor.

Incidentally, I, too, was abused as a child- emotionally and physically by a step-mother, sexually by an uncle (I was 11, he was 14.) I do not blame my abusers for my problems. I love and forgive them and wish them no pain.

I appreciate encouragement like Nicole’s and I accept that some can’t believe I am redeemable, however, I am stunned by those who think I should be murdered, or that I should murder myself. Only in prison did I find people who felt that way. (Many of them thought nothing of selling drugs to minors, though, or neglecting their children while they partied.) You don't even know me. You don't know my family and friends. Secretly grateful? No ma'am, not even the slightest chance. They would be extremely angry at the suggestion. I'm not angry, just... stunned. I am agnostic, but I have a feeling we will all be judged in the end. I have done good and bad, like all humans. I am not afraid.

I've never been a schoolteacher.

"... I was arrested for one crime, then another girl made an outcry during the investigation. (I didn't get caught, adjudicated, and then do it again.)

Not trying to lessen responsibility- just saying that in terms of recidivism- that the punishment was enough to keep me from re-offending.

gt23, you see, just as in real life, people will make up things about what you say. Even though here it is posted for them to read carefully, they won't. It is too important for them to speak. Righteousness means never having to be correct.

If I had caught you myself in an offense against mine, you would probably have died swiftly. However, that wouldn't have been your only deterrent. My own daughter has known what appropriate behavior is from a very early age and also had never been taught to be ashamed of herself. She has never sought the attention of a dramatically older figure.

As is blatantly obvious from the hysteria today, coding level after level of crime isn't working. The operative syllable in the term, "self-defense" is self. As is clear from the above, allowing a crime to be completed damages many other people than just the victim. As is NOT clear from the term, "self-defense", defending yourself doesn't just mean you pull a gun at the scene of the crime. It means you take various measures beforehand.

And from a wholly different perspective, there is a world of real difference between Hannibal Lechter kidnapping a child and a teenage slut working on some loser who can't believe his "good" luck. I hope the outrage doesn't conceal that.

By the way - the pic of Pete has the word, "BREVARD" on it. That county's southern border is about 160 miles from the Super Bowl stadium.

Oh, yeah, that's useful.

Rad,

Please don't call them sluts. They have been troubled in some way- neglect, abuse, molestation.

I sought the previously damaged, and damaged them further. I guess I did have some conscience, but it didn't take much "working" on me.

I know I am a documented criminally sexual deviant. But with therapy, personal awareness, and determination, I know I can live the rest of my life without re-offending. I am glad I was caught and punished- if not, I would have continued.

If anyone is worried about my internet usage, I have permission from my PO and therapist- with explicit restrictions and monitoring software. Then there's always the polygraphs, though I don't mind them at all. I want to verify my compliance and accountability.

Actually, slut is what I use when I mean it.

Here in SC, a hastily covered-up scandal appeared when a group of middle-school girls, 15 and 16 years old, were discovered to be "working the calendar". After apparently exhausting the opportunities at the middle school, they made it a point to "date" sequentially older males, with the goal to find as well-off a man as they could. This went on for months. It was only when they brought somebody their single mother's age home that those mothers said a word.

What do you call a promiscuous, sexually active woman or girl of any age who seeks out further contact with strangers?

Please note that "damaged" or not, that is not an excuse to do whatever occurs to you with them. I am pleased to see that this has occurred to you. But, as I said, there is a world of difference between this and forcible rape of an innocent.

-----

I suggest that there is a great deal of damage done to the young by stigmatizing them - by pointing and whispering, spreading the word that "there goes that girl who was with that pedophile", or some such equivalent. Having sex with the wrong person, under the wrong circumstances, even being taken advantage of, isn't and shouldn't be the end of the world, but it will sure look like it to the youngster who hears the savagery of offended third parties and associates themselves with it.
Of course, this won't matter to the offended third party. They'll happily get venom on everybody in their righteous zealotry.

Um, have any of you people ever looked at the lyrics of "Tommy"?

In times past, people who could afford it did not consider their children fully educated till the young ones had spent a year or two in another culture. This is because we are such total products of our own culture that we can't fully understand it till we have spent time in a different culture. Then, we begin to understand that many things we assume are laws of nature are actually only artificial inventions of our own culture.

I went through a major learning process when I started spending time in Mexico. The two issues were marriage and what it really is; and the statutory rape laws.

I am told by those knowledgeable of history that marriage once was something done by the family or group. At some point in time, the religious clergy poked their noses in, to control their believers in just another way.

Then, governments added it their list of total population control, and now in many if not most nations, it is all about property, and no longer has anything to do with the bonding of a man and a woman.

And, divorce is all about power and money for attorneys and judges, not two people who can't live together any more.

Since the days of Benito Juarez, who took marriage away from the Catholic priests, and gave it to the government, a significant percentage of couples who want to be married simply announce they are married, and after while everyone views them as married, period, no debate. And, more importantly, they view themselves as married, which is sharply different from the "we're not married, we just live together" attitude called shacking up in the US.

That was hard to stomach, but with more experience, I am convinced neither the clergy nor the government can make a couple more married or divorced than they do themselves. Any nation with a 40% divorce rate can hold itself out as experts on marriage.
###
The next biggest thing I had trouble with was the equivalent of statutory rape. I call it that because it is an invention of the statutes, the legislated laws, as opposed to forcible violations.

IN the US, laws vary, but usually when the girl is under age 16, she is considered a mindless idiot incapable of making moral decisions (re-read the postings above for this attitude) and thus even if she was willing to have consensual sex, she is viewed as a little mindless child, and her sex partner is viewed as deserving of being murdered.

So, a 14 or 15 year old girl can have sex with exactly as many men as she wants, and there is no criminal penalty for her, but for her chosen lovers, the cops run through the list, "This one goes to prison. This one goes to prison. This one is okay." To the bottom of the list.

This transcends stupidity and insanity. If it were really harmful to girls of that age, they would be put in reform school for sexual activity, as under-age girls were in most states until the 70's.

This concept that sexually mature girls of any age are mindless idiots incapable of simple moral decisions, like f**k or not-f**k, is equally insane and stupid.

I know this, because years ago when my daughter was 13, the man-haters were ranting nationally how those "young" girls didn't even know how they got pregnant. I asked her, and she said it was stupid to think girls here age were that ignorant, so I know it's stupid, heh, heh.

Stupid.

Also, pedophilia is technically being sexually attracted to sexually immature children, until the feminists deliberately confused it with statutory, which often involves sexually mature and willing young people.

This serves well for the feminist panics, putting as many men as possible in prison, while letting their deliberate accomplices continue their SLUTTY behavior. Swell!

And, right on this blog, many of you obediently parrot this nonsense.

Here in Mexico, the laws are what they were in the US, before the feminists started telling women what to think. The laws protect innocent girls,but the rules change when a girl is a willing participant after age 14.

The key is the girl and the parents get to decide if a crime has been committed, not a Nifong type of government official with an axe to grind. If the parents realize the girl was willing, which they well know happens by that age, they will usually not presss charges.

Here, unwed motherhood is still stigmatized as it should be everywhere, so if a girl is pregnant and the man is willing to take her as his "wife" the parents usually accept it, which means he is going to work everyday to feed her, instead of her parents or the taxpayers.

Also, girls, not being as stupid as most of you in the US think, well know what is going to happen if they f**k around. Some of them are still going to mess up, but the jails aren't being filled by men who have sex with willing girls and the taxpayers aren't being bankrupted taking care of girls who willingly have sex without plans for marriage.

Another point. If you tell us day after day 15 year old girls are so stupid they can't make a decsion you expect of all 15 year old boys, how can you think by magic when they get to be adults we are supposed to realize they are just as smart as boys, and can do anything boys can, etc? If a 15 year old girl is totally stupid, so are adult women, though I do not at all agree with this, but that is the message you are sending.

This is a pure case of American arrogance, assuming your political decision how to deal with youth sex, which has changed over the last few decades is a natural law universal the entire world. This arrogance is going to be the end of the American Empire.

Oh, and please don't bore me with the totally predictable charge that only a pedophile would feel this way. That is pure garbage. Like accusing anyone who supports legalizing drugs is a pot-head.

@gt23 - if you are not already familiar with the term, you may be interested in learning more about the "maladaptive introject" phenomenon.

Go to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_Needs_Meeting_Strategy_%28DNMS%29

and scroll down to "Ego states/ parts of self."

There is a well-recognized connection between being severely abused as a child, and becoming an abuser - and the connection regarding being sexually abused as a child and becoming a sexual predator (as a child or adult) seems to be pronounced among boys, compared to girls. The connection may be explained by the neuroscience behind the maladaptive introject phenomenon.

Hmm, well that stuff was a little over my head, but I'll say this- I helped raise (as a divorced father) two girls, and my parenting was opposite of the emotional abuse I endured from my step-mom. I was (still am) a good dad- I never had any inappropriate thoughts toward my daughters, and have always treated them with love and respect. The sexually abused to abuser theory is generally discounted by my therapists- though they will say we were affected by a lack of sexual boundaries.