A plea probably resulted in that sentence.

Yes, your probably right, but goodness. Now look what happened!

When did this happen? Before or after the baby died? If before, an argument could be made that the interest of the child in having a father to care and provide overrides the statuatory issue, esp. if he pleads out. An "everyone wins" from the court perspective.

See, thats one of the problems. Someone goes out, rapes a teenager, gets her pregnant and he gets a slap on the hand. 10 years probation, big deal. Does he now have to register as a sex offender in NY for what he did? Right before Christmas we got something in the mail about a sex offender in our neighborhood, and looked at the address and picture of the guy, he lives across the street from us. He had a relationship with a 16 year old girl when he was 23 (he is now 25). From the info in the flyer, the police and parents found out about this "relationship" when someone found them in a car. Now what really strikes me as strange about this whole situation, if he is a registered sex offender, why is his 6 year old daughter ok to live with him??? We thought the idiot had moved until we got this flyer, apparently he had been in jail all this time. Now that he is back, the loud annoying music is back and his car alarm goes off everytime someone sneezes.

That's probably it, then. They figured the kid would be better off w/ a scumbag father than a scumbag father in jail. And if this girl lived w/ her grandmother, at that age....all leads up to "best interests of the child" considerations.

Statutory rape is nothing new, it happens EVERYDAY. When I was in HS, the Seniors were dating the Freshman, meaning a 14/15 year old with a 17/18 year old. It depends on the parents, if they know, and if they want to press charges.

Then there are the girls that LIE abour their age, they say they are 18, to get the older guy, what happens if he then gets her pregnant? Statutory rape, WITHOUT KNOWING IT.

Do they need to start checking these girls ID's before getting intimate?

seriously...its gonna have to start!! sad, but true!!! I have seen these girls at the mall and such..they are like 12 or 13 but dressing (like hookers) and look like 18 or 19. SCARY!! My parents would have killed me!

I see girls every day in the summer dressing like hookers. I have a real hard time understanding how the parents can allow them to walk out the door with their skirts hiked up to the ar$$,black boots, 4 inches of makeup on. Its disgusting.

yeah, but if the moms try to discipline the girls, they hollar abuse or whatever, and the parents are given grief so what then? sigh....the kids simply do not see the long range results of what they are doing.

oh the grounding...I dreaded that as much as "I'm disappointed in you"

Well I did question some friends I know that both parents also work, and are gone before their kids leave for school. And you are probably correct. The kids either dress the way they want, because they are also home from school before the parents get home from work also. Or if the parents are home, they hike up the skirts and plaster on the makeup after they leave the house. When I was in school there was a dean of "women" who stood in the hall and visually "measured" the length of your skirts. Lots would get sent home.

8 years of Catholic school here...and I'm appalled at what my daughter tries to get away with