I'm perfectly willing to admit being attracted to minors, and I challenge anyone who thinks that makes me the least bit perverted, or "sick" (I'm 25, btw). When girls sexually mature around 12-14, calling a 16 year old a "child" and trying to stigmatize the idea of being sexually attracted to her is rather dubious, to say the least. I am not, however, attracted to actual children...

Originally posted by tpg0007:
Maybe we should rethink the definition of "children."
In short, this.

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I understand parents dislike the idea of their girls having relationships with older men, and let's be honest, parents tend to get apoplectic whenever the sexuality of their daughters (especially their daughters) is concerned, regardless of the guy's age. Fine. I'm not a parent, but I understand being protective. On the other hand, maintaining that a 15 or 16 year old girl, while no doubt somewhat immature, is incapable of having consensual sex, is nonsense.

So, Pamel, in your story, there's difficulty, because the man was already in a position of power, authority, and influence over the girl, so that may complicate things. How can anyone tell the degree to which she was coerced by him? It may be impossible, even for her, to know. I'm not sure the best way to deal with those cases. Keep in mind, however, that there's certainly an amount of coercion in every human interaction, especially where sex is concerned. So, it's muddy. I am of the opinion, however, that it's entirely possible for a 30 year old and a 15 year old to have a free, non-coercive, consensual sexual relationship. And if they do, the 30 year old shouldn't be demonized or called a pervert. It just might be tricky to tell whether the relationship is, in fact, non-coercive. I'll grant you that. Let's be clear, though (just as an aside). Even if it is, it doesn't make the 30 year old a pervert. It may make him an asshole and a bully, but there's nothing perverted (or paedophilic) about being attracted to a sexually mature individual, regardless of the age difference involved.