Severe punishment for unknown underage sex.

A 19 year old woman is just that; a woman. Capable of making her own decisions, sleeping with the people she chooses to, whether that is part of a loving relationship, or a one night stand.
That is what I meant.
To the kind of man who asks her to pose and sends pictures to his friends, detailing (truthfully, in this case) what they got up to, they are 'fair game' I would think.

Oh, I meant UNtruthfully!
My phone changed it.

The man has responsibility about this. That child could quite easily being groomed.
He was was 27 yrs for heavens sake.

It isn't unknown for parents whose 14 or 15 year old daughter had 'unlawful sexual intercourse' (ie before age 16) with her boyfriend to complain to the police and social services, insisting the boy be charged. In the vast majority of cases, the young people involved said they loved each other, the girl wept at the idea of her boyfriend being prosecuted and put on the sex offenders register. It was often difficult to explain to angry parents that prosecution would be damaging rather than a positive 'life lesson' for the boy and girl involved. The rule of thumb was the age gap and age of the boy. Anything over 7 years led to serious consideration of prosecution.
The poster who compared her own relationship with a 9 year age gap to this isn't making a genuine comparison. No matter how pseudo mature a 12 year old girl may present she is a child. Can I remind those who talk about her 'putting herself in risky situations' is that is exactly the phrase that was used time and agin about the girls subject to child sexual exploitation in various towns and cities.
Working with children who are seduced into early sexual activity is a real challenge.

That man is responsible for the assault on the child. No exuses. He is twice her age.

Are there two versions of this thread?

The press would be in a whole pile of trouble if they published the name of that child who is now "a victim. "

Trying again.

Are you having trouble?
May I help?

As a 12 year old child unable to consent yes she is “a victim”

Yawn

If it is true that he did not realise that she was under-age, he did not knowingly victimise her, though he is technically guilty. If he did realise it but ignored that fact, then he is guilty in reality as well as technically. That is what was being debated. A conclusion was reached, and the judge then delivered a sentence based on the verdict and on his own estimate of how guilty the man was, within that verdict.

We could argue till the cows come home over our various interpretations of the parts of the case that we have heard, in the light of our own history and experience of life, but the verdict has been given and sentencing passed.

I think that guy could find himself answering quite a number of different charges of inappropriate behaviour.

Well I know how I would react if some sleazebag twice my 13 year old 's age had behaved like this towards her .I would be getting locked up for it!! There is NO excuse for any adult trolling for very young girls .I do know some girls look older and I also know about the peer pressure in some groups to have sex,Doesn't mean she was either physically or mentall or emotionally ready for the experience and he should be punished .

I’m wondering if the guy involved had been an Asian Muslim man whether some of the responses on this thread would be the same.

Got it in one momof3.
The post that says this child groomed a grown man. And that he wouldn't be able to resist is awful.

It is, of course, deeply concerning that the girl was posting in the way described; there is obviously a back story about this.

We do know that adolescent girls can often, even usually seem older than they are, although I tend to feel that a 12-year-old would find it hard really to convince someone that she was actually 19 – a 14- or 15-year-old could probably do it, if she was careful. However, she is 12 years old and, de facto, a victim because she cannot legally give consent. He is an adult man who apparently likes to have sex with much younger girls and is responsible for his actions.

momof3, the girls who as adults supported the prosecution of the gangs of (mostly) Asian men who groomed and sexually abused them were not believed, not supported and seen as 'making lifestyle choices' when the fact they were being sexually exploited, given drugs etc was first made known to agencies that should have protected them.
The outcry that followed will have contributed to the fact the child in this case was not dismissed as making lifestyle choices or worse, being the predator in this situation.

No doubt, there are cases where men have been fooled into thinking a 15 or 16-year-old girl was 18 or 21 or whatever, and I sympathize with those men. But 12? As another poster said, even if she really looks like a 19-year-old, it's doubtful she sounds like one or consistently acts like one. Plus, his behavior, in general, left a lot to be desired. No sympathy here, I'm afraid.

I am worried about that girl though. What could be going on in her life that she would do this? Is she exceedingly lonely? The victim of sexual abuse by a relative or family friend? Something's not right here, imo, and it goes beyond this man's behavior. I hope CPS looks more deeply into this girl's situation.

Round and round this thread goes!

If you're bored with it Jane10, maybe stop reading.

Sorry, that was snippy but I don't find the subject of child abuse boring so reacted too quickly.

The abuse isn't boring, but the insistence of so many people that their interpretation is the only one to be considered is getting repetitive.

And their opinions are based on limited information..as opposed to the judge!

KateF I am sitting on the fence, arguing with myself. It is not true that a twelve year old cannot make herself up to look nineteen, however, what about the development of hair on the body, unless she pretends to have had a Brazilian. My great niece, is not twelve until end of July, she is mentally at the right age, however she is 5’5” tall, lovely to look at with long blonde hair. When I saw her dressed for her School disco (no boyfriends on the horizon, she is still ‘young’) she could have easily passed for a teenager, nineteen would have been a stretch, but then she does not wear make up or a lot of it yet. Our assumption is that a twenty seven year old man would be a ‘bit’ more worldly wise perhaps? Certainly someone who is trawling for sex on the Internet, while not all that bright, might not be expecting a twelve year old brat to be posting on it. My heart greaves for a child with her childhood lost. My granddaughters and great nieces with that age range still go to the Panto, Father Christmas train rides, half price sweets at Wilkos. This poor lass, and many more like her, who wouldn’t not give me a thank you for saying that, has long lost the pleasure of being a young child. The trouble with being long retired, one has too much time to pontificate.