Man Jalied for Affair with 18 yr old Girl

[mrmcfister]

The law is there to protect stupid teengers from adults in positions of trust...schools etc.This bloke knew exactly the rules and should have kept it in his trousers.He got what he deserved.Shed no tears.

[Jonone]

'The relationship began when the girl was 17' ... not 18+

[NeilUK]

Who can you all be SO sure of what should happen. You have read a newspaper article , you weren't in court. You have no idea of the real facts in the case except what the Mail reported.

As has been pointed out its covered in the Sex Offenders act of 2006. If he has grounds for appeal his lawyers would have told him so. Surely the lawyers know more than the people who have just read this article.

Also someone compared this case to Ben Dover and Marino's films where they chat up girls on the street. Surely you can all see the difference between a teacher in a position of trust and professional porn makers working with professional models?

[dynatech]

A simplistic view to say the least.
Where does the line get drawn, because recent history shows us these laws all get 'refined' (developed) and then the yardstick for the current measures could be extended to, say, any student under 21 (why not?, the age of consent is 16 not 18, this law is to "protect") and stretch to, for instance, a university lecturer.
Well, after all we've all accepted them stretching it to 18 so why not 21? And why not apply it to anyone in a 'position of trust' -- we could apply it to, say, a guitar tutor who had been invited into the home of a 'vulnerable' 19 year old to teach them a few chords or a swimming instructor who falls in love with the 18 year taking adult swimming lessons at the local health club.
Jackboot Jacquie & her cronies have a dream, and that dream is more and more people being forced onto the 'sex offenders register' - chortle all you like, it's happening and it's no laughing matter

[NeilUK]

It is stretched to anyone in a position of trust, not just teachers. It would apply to any regulataed profession. Teacher, Emergency Services, Nurses, Doctors etc etc. Any job where a sex offence disallows someone from applying is included in this law.

But I say again, we only know what was in the article.... What if she was 18 but not a mental age of 18?

The sex offences act is to protect anyone underage OR who isn't able to make an informed decision for her/himself. If the court decided this girl couldn't make an informed decision for whatever reason her age is irrelevant

[Jonone]

Dynatech, do you really want a situation where adults with access to children and young people are free to identify the vulnerable ones (the ones who have moved school, whose parents are getting divorced, who have suffered a bereavement in the family, who lack confidence etc) and groom them for sexual relationships and it's acceptable bacause the young person is question is 16+ ?

You have a very romanticised view of what happens if you think it's a case of two people 'falling in love'. Adults and young people can be scheming and manipulative .. isn't it better that there's something in place to protect them both ?

[number 6]

What you say is totlaly true Jonone,but what if the teacher and the 18 yr old student really do fall in love,why should he lose his job?

[dynatech]

...and more to the point, why should he lose his liberty?
I personally knew of 5 sixth form girls who had flings with teachers, I can't remember 1) the girls being 'taken advantage of' and being mentally scarred from the ordeal, or 2) anyone thinking the teachers in question were pervs, 'jammy git' was the general consensus with a few observent/jealous types commenting on a potential mid-life crisis in a couple of those cases.

If an 18 year old girl is so vulnerable, so in need of protection of the law, that anyone with a sniff of 'responsilbilty' becomes a criminal by getting it on with said 'adult' then we as makers, contrinutors to and consumers of porn need to urgently reassess what is right or wrong. Just think, a few more strokes of the ministerial pen could see half the porn on the market retrospectively illegal! 'NeilUK' suggests that this nouveaux 'sexcrime' should not apply just to teachers but doctors, policemen, in fact anyone with a semblance of 'public duty' in their profession. God help us.
When does the 18 year become 'unvlunerable', at 19, 20, 21, 25? Or should we perhaps clamour for a nulaw forbidding any sexual relationship when the protagonists have more than 5 years age gap between them?