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It was a terrible story. She was 11, her 20 assailants (over a couple months time, not one single event) were 12-mid 20's.
And the town basically turned on her, and things were said in court that would make you say, "that can't be true". Specifically, a defense lawyer called her a spider luring the men into her web, and no one, including the sheriff disagreed.
I think all 20 have been convicted. The juveniles got a much lesser sentence. The "ring leader" is serving 99 years.
An update, last we heard from her she was 14 and pregnant.
An 11-year-old, luring adults and juveniles into her web?! Why would anyone believe that? And what would that have to do with statutory rape laws, anyway? It's irrelevant. Her lawyer should have said so, and the judge should have agreed, and not allowed the argument.
How did this take place over several incidents? Why would she be ok returning to the same location, or going to the home of one of the perpetrators? Was she abused at home? Is anything known about her, or was that kept out of the media?
An 11-year-old, luring adults and juveniles into her web?! Why would anyone believe that? And what would that have to do with statutory rape laws, anyway? It's irrelevant. Her lawyer should have said so, and the judge should have agreed, and not allowed the argument.
How did this take place over several incidents? Why would she be ok returning to the same location, or going to the home of one of the perpetrators? Was she abused at home? Is anything known about her, or was that kept out of the media?
(Thanks for posting this follow up, btw.)
Im not saying its true in this case, but the bolded is not entirely out of the realm of possibilities. I dated a girl when I was in my mid teens, (she was 15, I was 17), she had been very sexually active from 12 yrs old, she admitted to me she did 'use' guys (even adults) with sex, in order to get what she wanted, or to get of trouble, etc.
It may sound like a very young age, but this is around the time frame when girls start to notice boys and men looking at them in a different way. Ive heard this same thing from nearly every girl Ive dated, they say its very recognizable when it starts, it feels like being looked at 'like a piece of meat', some girls do not like this new attention, but some do and learn they can use this to their advantage.
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"I don't understand. But I don't care, so it works out."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
An 11-year-old, luring adults and juveniles into her web?! Why would anyone believe that? And what would that have to do with statutory rape laws, anyway? It's irrelevant. Her lawyer should have said so, and the judge should have agreed, and not allowed the argument.
How did this take place over several incidents? Why would she be ok returning to the same location, or going to the home of one of the perpetrators? Was she abused at home? Is anything known about her, or was that kept out of the media?
(Thanks for posting this follow up, btw.)
It was complicated, and sad. She was "in love" with one of the older men (I believe the one who got 99 years) and would do anything at all to please him, including having sex with anyone he asked her to. It was just pathetic.
Her sisters turned on her, and she had to go into foster care after the case broke. The sisters were in high school and blamed her for ruining the reputation of the family - they were both college hopefuls and were popular, respected girls - and were forced to move out of town because the family was blamed for the criminal prosecution of especially the ones who were her peers.
I don't know what went so terribly wrong with her, that she was willing to do this for this wretch of a man, and why it was tolerated for so long when everyone in town, including elderly neighbors, knew of her relationship with him.
Im not saying its true in this case, but the bolded is not entirely out of the realm of possibilities. I dated a girl when I was in my mid teens, (she was 15, I was 17), she had been very sexually active from 12 yrs old, she admitted to me she did 'use' guys (even adults) with sex, in order to get what she wanted, or to get of trouble, etc.
It may sound like a very young age, but this is around the time frame when girls start to notice boys and men looking at them in a different way. Ive heard this same thing from nearly every girl Ive dated, they say its very recognizable when it starts, it feels like being looked at 'like a piece of meat', some girls do not like this new attention, but some do and learn they can use this to their advantage.
You describe classic sex abuse victims. Not all of them are afraid and become shy and retiring. Some of them, stuck in a situation they can't escape figure out ways to turn it to an advantage. They don't know what else to do.
Soon they begin to deny that they have ever been hurt, scared or abused. It's a way of feeling like they have control of themselves. They don't even realize they are victims.
It can be a normal defense against a no-win situation.
Chances are this was a victim who was working at becoming a victimizer. Certainly would have felt like a safer place to be, I'm sure.
And yes, there are just plain goofed-up people, too. But if you dig deep enough you can often find the root of the behavior. We just won't ever spend that kind of money on these throw-away kids. I'm not sure that we could.
It does help to understand, though. And the more people who do the less apt we are as a society to blame, punish or enable the sexual dysfunction. That would be a start to turning it around.
Edited to Add: These folks in denial and taking on the behaviors of their abusers are dangerous adults, yes. They do tremendous emotional and physical damage in society not to mention expense.
Yea, its standard when its regular crimes, but for something THIS brutal and extreme, they absolutely should have listed their full names. Every female (adult and child) in that area has cause to fear these boys.
I don’t know what they do for juveniles, but since they are in custody there is no need to list their names now. I hope they’re on the registry of sexual offenders for the rest of their lives though.
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