OPINION: Florida Teen Sex Case Screams for Good Old Fashioned Common Sense
By Dale Glading | The Save Jersey Blog
Indian River County, Florida – and Sebastian River High School, in particular – have been in the national news this week because of a story that started small and then went viral. The story is about an 18-year girl allegedly having sexual relations with a 15-year old female classmate.
As an evangelical Christian, an ordained minister and a strong social conservative, my position on this issue may surprise you.
I do not think the 18-year old senior in question should be prosecuted.
Yes, I know that the law states that an 18-year old is considered an adult and individuals under the age of 16 cannot give legal consent to having sex. But unless I am misinterpreting that law, it was written to protect children from predatory adults – not to shield two classmates from each other simply because one happened to turn 18 and the other is an underclassman.
Do I think that sex outside of marriage is wrong? Yes. Should it be illegal? No.
Likewise, I do not approve of homosexuality, but such behavior should never have been criminalized in America.
While we are on that subject, this young lady’s plight should not be twisted into an argument about gay rights. Whether she is a lesbian or straight is inconsequential to the case as well as to any discussion of it. That is why gay rights advocates should steer a wide berth and resist the urge to make her a cause célèbre.
This case is about age, pure and simple, so dump the “Stop the Hate, Free Kate” protest signs.
In virtually every high school in America, there are seniors who are dating underclassmen. If surveys are true, many of them are also engaging in sex.
At some point during their senior year, most students celebrate their 18th birthday, making them adults in the eyes of the law. And suddenly, that sexual relationship – while immoral and ill-advised – becomes criminal behavior.
And that is where I draw the line.
Turning 18 means that a person can legally vote, run for office, and enlist in the military or marry without parental consent. But no one magically matures between the 365th day of their 17th year and the first day of their 18th.
What would you have this 18 year old or any other high school student do? Break up with their under-aged boyfriend or girlfriend simply because the calendar rolled over?
We are not talking about a middle-aged step father and his under-aged step daughter. Nor are we talking about an 18-year old and a small child.
Kaitlyn Hunt is 18. Her former girlfriend is 15.
Was Kaitlyn’s behavior immoral, foolish and short-sighted? You will get no argument from me there. However, I will also be the first one to tell you that I did a lot of immoral, foolish and short-sighted things when I was a senior in high school.
Heck, I do a lot of those things now – and so do the rest of us, because we are all imperfect. The Bible calls it sin and it’s a disease I will carry to my grave.
Having spent almost 30 years working in the criminal justice system as a prison minister, I know the permanent blemish that being charged with a sex crime leaves on a person’s record. From what I know of this case, Kaitlyn Hunt is not a sexual predator nor is she a criminal.
For that reason, I urge the powers that be to exercise judicial discretion and some good old-fashioned common sense and drop the charges against Kaitlyn Hunt.
But may her case be a clear warning to parents everywhere to raise their kids with less naiveté and a stronger sense of moral values. Because unfortunate choices usually have unfortunate consequences.
