• baltakatei@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    92
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 day ago

    Fixed: Matt Gaetz, former Trump AG pick, had sex with raped an underage girl while in Congress, House Ethics report says

    A minor cannot consent.

    • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      8 hours ago

      In Florida a 17 year old can consent.

      Matt Gaetz being older than 24 is the illegal part. He groomed a young girl.

      Also, because he paid her, then the offense involves the procurement of a person who is under 18 years of age, so the charge increases to a second degree felony, which can result in up to 15 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

      • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        6 hours ago

        No she couldn’t consent to anyone over 24, which he was. Also, I would have to play catch-up, but if this is one of the girls he flew to New Jersey to have sex with… It’s sex trafficking a minor right?

        • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          2 hours ago

          I think consent is the wrong word here. A 17 year old can consent to a subgroup of people (under 24). Therfore she is above the age of consent.

          The girl has full control over her decisions but, more importantly, should not be charged with any crime.

          Gaetz on the other hand …

    • Korne127@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 hours ago

      I don’t know about this case, I can definitely imagine him raping that girl.

      But from a European perspective, saying minors cannot consent is definitely one of these very stupid US takes. It is honestly insane that in the US 18 is treated like a god, and if one partner is some months older, it’s illegal.
      Obviously, minors can generally be influenced more easily than older people, and it’s important to have safeguards in place, but such a statement is just genuinely ridiculous.

      • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        6 hours ago

        That’s not the case in this scenario, and rarely is. It varies by state, but Romeo and Juliet laws are common, which cover these kinds of circumstances.

        Basically, the law will set an acceptable age gap where consent can happen; If the gap is 5 years, then a 17 year old won’t be able to consent to sex with a 30 year old, but can with an 18-22 year old. So it helps maintain the “this is obviously a child who was groomed by a creepy middle-aged person” statutory rape laws, while still allowing kids to date each other.

        • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 hours ago

          In some states they just straight up do the European thing where all that matters is being at least 16. In my state the age of consent is 16 and that’s also the age where you can be tried as an adult. They recently voted on whether or not to raise the age, and they decided no.

          There is still push for that to be changed, though only for the age of being tried as an adult. The former they’re kinda keen on keeping where it is.

      • newDayRocks@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 hours ago

        It is honestly insane that in the US 18 is treated like a god, and if one partner is some months older, it’s illegal.

        You’ll be relieved to know that this is never the case.

        • SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          4 hours ago

          Let me tell you about Wisconsin: We regularly bump 17-year-old offenders into adult court. So, yes, we have had cases of 17-year-old couples tried as adults for having sex with a minor after they had sex with each other.

          If the implication of that fact hasn’t sunk in I’ll make it explicit: We treat them as adults for the purposes of being a criminal, and a minor for the purposes of being a victim.

          • newDayRocks@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            3 hours ago

            Ok that one is on me. I don’t know why I expected Romeo and Juliet clauses to have some level of consistency in all states.