Back to the Free Kate thing again for a moment. There was an Associated Press story yesterday that contradicted some of the earlier stories.
This story said:
"An 18-year-old Florida cheerleader is facing felony charges that she had sexual contact with her underage, 14-year-old girlfriend."
"The two had a consenting relationship that began soon AFTER Kaitlyn Hunt turned 18, and Hunt Smith, Kates mother said she assumed the younger girl's parents knew that."
In addition, it says this:
State Attorney Bruce Colton said the victim's family is not pushing for prison but wants Kaitlyn Hunt to be held responsible in some way.
"One of the reasons this case has gotten people's attention is because it's being publicized as a person being persecuted because she's gay, and that has nothing to do with the case, nothing to do with the law, nothing to do with the sheriff's office filing the charges," Colton said. He said the law is designed to protect younger children from older children who might be more aggressive in starting a relationship.
"The law doesn't make any differentiation. It doesn't matter if it's two girls or two boys, or an older boy and a younger girl or an older girl and a younger boy. Whatever the combination, it doesn't matter."
"It's very difficult under these circumstances when the defendant and the victim do not see what they're doing as a crime, but understandably the law is very clear that when someone is more than four years older than the victim and the victim is under the age of 16, then they cannot give legal consent," said New Jersey defense attorney Gregory Gianforcaro, who has represented victims and defendants on both sides of this issue.
I am still not sure what to think. There is more than one side to any story. Something still feels fishy about this one.
Full story