Six-year-old sex offender...

[Gravekeeper]

Aren't DA's elected? That's the problem right there. Combine the frothing "OMG WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN" with an elected position and you get shit like this.

[jackfaire]

That's why I will bet everything I have that what the article says is not what state law really says. I suspect that the "intrusion into any part of the body" must be made by a penis, or if not a penis, the intrusion must be into the vaginal area or anus.

Actually no in my state the actual law reads Intrusion into any part of the body. If they really wanted to be jerks shoving your finger into a girl's mouth against her will counts as rape by the literal definition of the law. "Penetration of orifice" is how it's defined without qualifiers for what part of your body into what orifice.

[Boozy]

I'd like a citation for the source you are using, since my source says no such thing.

My source is Chapter 9A.44.010 of the Washington State legal code. I will post a link when I'm not on my mobile.

[jackfaire]

I'd like a citation for the source you are using, since my source says no such thing.

My source is Chapter 9A.44.010 of the Washington State legal code. I will post a link when I'm not on my mobile.

My source was the paperwork they gave my little brother when they charged him. It said he was being charged with Statutory Rape on the basis that any form of unwanted penetration with any part of him in a sexual manner is considered rape.

His lawyer said that he could have been charged with Statutory rape for french kissing the girl.

[Beckpatton]

Summary: a six-year-old is being charged with first-degree sexual assault for playing doctor with a five-year-old. Oh, and they're considering having him labelled a sexual predator. forbidding him from having unsupervised contact with children.

While I agree that the idea a 6 year old boy knowingly acted as a sexual predator is insane, I can understand the parents wanting him to get some kind of counselling as it wasn't an isolated incident. When you read about his previous behaviour with babysitters, my first thought is that he seems to be very sexualised for his age, perhaps something happened to him and he is just copying the behaviour.

Something very similar happend at my old primary school, a young boy, about 7 maybe 8 was acting inappropriately with some of the 5 year olds, he was sent to counselling and turns out someone had been messing with him.

They're not actually laying criminal charges here, he's too young. They are asking for a legal order to force the child into counselling, and to get whatever help he may need. See below from the article:

Under state law, the boy is too young to be charged with a crime or in a juvenile delinquency petition, the equivalent of a criminal complaint for juveniles. Instead, prosecutors have included the allegations in a petition seeking protection or services for the boy. Such petitions are typically used by parents or authorities to identify children under 10 who need services to change inappropriate behavior.

The girls parents weren't happy with the reaction of the boys parents, so pressed it further.

As for branding him a sexual predator, and restricting his time spent with kids, again they want him evaluated to see if in fact he may be one in the making, or just a kid playing doctor, (the most likely scenario). Until that process has been completed, for his and everyones safety, they are keeping him supervised when with other kids.

They said authorities even raised the prospect that the boy be evaluated as a potential sexual predator and suggested he not be allowed to have any unsupervised contact with children.

I feel weird even defending this story, but I understand the intent behind it. Sure they're all probably overreacting, most kids do this kind of thing at this age, I know I sure did! (Actually my mum had to give me "the talk" when I was 5 because the 10 year old neighbour was trying to play these kinds of "games" with me). I'm sure once it's resolved it will turn out that the cause of all this, (him playing "Butt doctor") will be him acting out what happened when he had some health issues. In the article it says he had to have enemas and stuff, I reckon that's where it all came from!

[FArchivist]

How can anyone look at this case and think, "Yeah, that kinda makes sense."? How can that D.A. still have a job?

The state in question follows "zero tolerance" guidelines in regards sexual offenses. Zero tolerance requires the same harsh response regardless of circumstance.

By the logic presented in this finding, I'd be interested what would happen if the same six year old were coerced into fingering someone of the legal age. Is he still a sex offender? If they're going to argue he knew what he was doing, how then are they going to prosecute the person he fingered as a sex offender?

The person who coerced the six-year-old would be considered to be the offender, with the six-year-old being classed as the victim. It is always the initiator that is considered to be at fault, defaulting to the legal age person.

[jackfaire]

The person who coerced the six-year-old would be considered to be the offender, with the six-year-old being classed as the victim. It is always the initiator that is considered to be at fault, defaulting to the legal age person.

*nods* The exception always being the age. If you initate a sexual relationship as a teenager with an adult they will be considered the sex offender.

I think they might make exceptions if you can prove you were unwilling but that would be like physically forced, if you were drugged or anything like that you would have a harder time proving you didn't want it.

[tropicsgoddess]

An adult or teen molesting or sexually assaulting and/or abusing the child, or engaging in lewd/lascivious acts with the child is something to put them as a sex offender. But to put a 6 year old as a sex offender for playing doctor with a 5 year old girl is fucking ridiculous! The girl's mother went way overboard on getting the authorities involved instead of hashing it out with the parents and having a talk with her child about inappropriate touching and such.

[bara]

Thats it! Stop the planet, Im getting off.

[jackfaire]

I am really glad people weren't like this when I was in Kindergarten because I played doctor too.

Oh No I is EviiiiiLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

[Mytical]

I've heard some ridiculous, absurd, and knee-jerk reaction things.but this might be the winner of the award for such. Bring out the trophy, I would weep if I find something that could top it. At six, with all honesty, I didn't even know the difference between a male and a female..no really I had no clue. Didn't care to either. I thought the boys who were crying about 'cooties' were strange. Of course now mind that my older sister was considered a tom boy (climbed trees etc) so to me there was no difference. My sister could outwrestle, out climb, out fight any boy..so what was the issue?

Me and my sister wrestled, just like me and my brother did (both older, but I didn't let that stop me). I am sure during the wrestling hands were placed where they shouldn't have, but we were KIDS FOR CRIMMINIES SAKE. Besides wounded egos and a few bruises and such..there was never any harm done. Now I never played doctor (when I was old enough to be curious I was already too shy) but to call this boy a sexual predator is signs that people have gotten certain wooden objects too far into certain crevices. I agree with Bara..stop the world..I want off.

[Dreamstalker]

Not quite the same, but related to the thread title:

Boy accused of sexual harassment for punching a bully in the groin

Basically, the bully stole his gloves and began choking him on the bus. The boy puched back in an attempt to get free and managed to connect with the bully's testicles.

How is this 'sexual harassment'?!

[jackfaire]

How is this 'sexual harassment'?!

They thought it was meant to be a love tap?

[Dreamstalker]

That seems better than any explanation mom or I could come up with. I was under the impression that the person doing the harassing must be aware that it is harassment.

This seems to be a 'natural' outgrowth of the zero-tolerance bullshit (which we have zero tolerance for).

[RedRoseSpiral]

I just got done reading the comments and all I could see was BS about how this is all the fault of the feminist...wtf?