Another sad story for the “It’s not sex, it’s rape.” file, by Guest Hoyden Slave2TehTink

by Guest Hoyden on March 7, 2009

in Violence, gender & feminism, law & order

tinkSlave2TehTink is normally found making posts with no redeeming social value whatsoever[1] in her LiveJournal, or posting pictures of her small menagerie on her flickr. Offline she lurks on the Civil War battlefields of northern Virginia with her fawn Doberman Tink, and knits.

“JURORS BALK AT SENTENCING OFFENDER: Man guilty of having sex with runaway child; jury unable to come up with sentence.”

To sum up: Girl is molested from age 9 to 13 by a friend of the family. One night when she’s 14 she finds out he’s coming over to the family home, so she begs a 24 yo guy she met online to come get her. He refuses. She takes a cab from Arlington, VA to Aquia Landing, VA and shows up at his door. What follows is a weekend of drugs, alcohol, and what the legal system coyly refers to as “carnal knowledge of a child”. His defense attorney argues that while he showed “poor judgement” it wasn’t TOTALLY his fault, I mean, the little Lolita DID show up at his house uninvited you know. Prosecutor argues that he further damaged an already damaged child. Perpetrator says he never had REAL sex with her, just penetrated her with condom-covered sex toys, so it’s not like it’s, y’know, SERIOUS or something.

The judge was “could have but was unable” (I am officially tossing the “bullshit” flag on that unable) to recommend a sentence (the 4 counts of “carnal knowledge of a child” of which the guy was convicted carry a sentence of 8 to 40 years). The jury could not agree on a sentence, either. Judge will sentence this bastard on May 1st. Perp has three more trials to go, stemming from charges of “taking indecent liberties with a child” and “numerous counts of possessing child pornography.”

I am full of flail and hate. This is such a NO BRAINER maximum sentence. Damaged child half your age shows up at your house, the correct answer is “CALL THE POLICE” not “GIVE HER BOOZE AND DRUGS AND RAPE HER”. And then the paper reports him found guilty of “having sex with” her, right. Right.

I’ll be over here in the corner gibbering. I love the South, but sometimes the nastiness of the conservative, outdated attitudes here rises up and catches me by surprise.

it's not sex, it's rape

If you would like to contact the Stafford County, VA Circuit Court to urge Judge Charles Sharp to treat this case with the seriousness it deserves and sentence Travis Austin Lutton with appropriate severity, you can reach them at:

P. O. Box 69
1300 Courthouse Road
Stafford, VA 22555-0069
Phone: 540-658-8750

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{ 5 comments }

1
Angus Johnston March 8, 2009 at 4:31 am

On the American cop show NYPD Blue, one of the senior detectives used the phrase “had sex on” to describe what people who sexually abuse children do, as in “Did you have sex on him?”

I always thought that was an incredibly apt and chilling phrase, and I think of it every time I read one of these posts.

2
SunlessNick March 8, 2009 at 4:55 am

So… are they using the “well she’s been raped continuously for four years anyway, what can once more hurt” angle?

3
Legal Eagle March 8, 2009 at 11:25 am

Sheezus, that kind of case really makes me upset. :( Poor girl.

4
Lauredhel March 8, 2009 at 10:55 pm

So… are they using the “well she’s been raped continuously for four years anyway, what can once more hurt” angle?

I suspect a touch of that, and a lavish serving of “she was obviously a saucy little seductress, you can’t blame him!”

5
Esme March 10, 2009 at 1:28 pm

It really saddens me that this judge thinks so little of this man, and men in general.

I have, many times in my life, had people younger than me show up at my house because they were abused, violated, afraid, or otherwise in need of help. And many more times I’ve gone and picked them up, or found someone who could. And never, in all those times, has it ever even occurred to me to give alcohol to them, or engage in sex acts with them. And because I am not a man, that’s understood to be the case.

What a dim view of men though, to think that they can’t help but see helpless people, people in need of a couch to surf, a hug or a held hand, or hair pulled back while they vomit, or a phone to call 911 on, as candidates for sexual partners.

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