Am I wrong in feeling a little sorry for Adam Johnson?

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Tbf she did just turn 15 it's not as if she was 16 the week after.

I do think it's weird how arbitrarily the age of consent is decided upon, I mean if this was an Italian player in Italy....age of consent is 14, no story bar the age gap being frowned upon. but legally sound.

But it's a slippery slope if you try and judge each act on it's own merits, you do need to draw the line and 16 isn't an unreasonable age to use.

As Musiclover says though, regardless of her age he cheated on his pregnant partner, guys scum, the age just makes it worse.

Age of consent is 14 in Italy Hm. Can you imagine a woman sleeping with even a mature looking 14 year old boy people would be like what the hell. Even 16 is still very young some girls haven't started their periods then. It's as though some men can't wait for the child to be legal age imo it's pure taking advantage of. What would the 15 year old talk about during their short secretive time together, Justin bieber lol. I don't know how old the man was but I can't see something like 15 and 18 being so bad but if he was in his 20's meh.

Reply 21

ChaoticButterfly

I'm pretty sure what he did would have still counted as sexual harassment or even rape if she had been 16+. So still a legal issue.

Ignoring laws, morally it was a reprehensible thing to do regardless of whether she was 15 or 16, it clearly seems to have messed with the girl a lot.

He was an arrogant dick head that got what he deserved. Sometime sthere is justice in the world :colonhash:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 22

ChaoticButterfly

Original post by Argentinababy

The law's the law. In the eyes of the law, a 15 year old is a child. If he didn't want people calling him a paedo maybe he shouldn't have tried it on with a 15 year old.

End thread/

Or maybe people could actually learn what paedophilia actually is. Being sexually attracted to 15 yr old girls is not paedophilia. If it is (which it isn't) virtually every man is a paedophile.

Reply 23

mackemforever

Original post by Twinpeaks

I mean, if she was less than one year older this wouldn't even be a legal issue?
The difference between when the incident happened, and a few months down the line draws the difference between a child too young for sex, and a woman, who to have sex with would be completely legal?

I know there needs to be a legal definition, a line to draw. But it just makes me feel uncomfortable somehow.

Not at all. If she had lied about her age, had told him she was 16 from the start then I would have some sympathy. While it's still pretty creepy it would at least be alright in my eyes because looking at her is she'd said she was 16 there's no obvious reason to doubt that.

However he knew her age from the start, was well aware of the fact that she was only 15, and chose to continue what he was doing.

Reply 24

Reformed

no he should be sorry for feeling a little girl

Reply 25

doobucks

Original post by llys

He knew she was 15, and still targeted her. A 28-year-old very deliberately grooming a 15-year-old. There are no two ways about it.

As for the age of consent, I think that, in terms of maturity, there is a big difference between 15 and 16.

That's nonsense.

However the law is 16 for a reason. Think that a lot of 16 year olds aren't mature enough to have sex anyway, while there are probably 14 year olds who are. Heck there are people who are in their 20s who aren't mature enough to do sexual acts so I guess you put an arbitrary value.

Regardless he broke the law and cheated on his pregnant GF with a 15 year old ffs. Guy gets what he deserves.

Reply 26

anarchism101

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

Yup. If we were talking about some 17 or 18 year old kid footballer, and the girl had actually wanted to or enthusiastically gone along with it, I might feel some sympathy. Johnson, by contrast, is 28, was well into his career and should have known he was manipulating her.

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

Or maybe people could actually learn what paedophilia actually is. Being sexually attracted to 15 yr old girls is not paedophilia. If it is (which it isn't) virtually every man is a paedophile.

PRSOM. Really can't express how much this annoys me. People say 'paedophilia' when what they really mean is child molesting.

Plus I think a lot of people believe laws against such acts exist for the wrong reasons; they think they exist because of the 'yuck factor' - that merely society finding a particular sex act, such as a child having sex with an adult, disgusting, is in itself a reason to ban it - rather than because of the victim's inability to consent. It may not sound important, but I do think it's something that crosses into other more legitimate questions of sexuality.

Reply 27

username1148663

Original post by Twinpeaks

I feel the same, 5 to 10 years for that is a joke.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 28

username1221160

I feel sorry for his victim, for his ex-partner and for his child. However I certainly don't feel sorry for Johnson.

Reply 29

Twinpeaks

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

Or maybe people could actually learn what paedophilia actually is. Being sexually attracted to 15 yr old girls is not paedophilia. If it is (which it isn't) virtually every man is a paedophile.

It's probably hebephilia. I disagree with you that a man in his 40s/ 50s would be attracted to a 15yo.

Reply 30

Nameless Ghoul

He did it with absolute knowledge of her age and the law. He is a sexual deviant and he needs to be punished.

Reply 31

Kvothe the Arcane

Original post by Twinpeaks

It's probably hebephilia. I disagree with you that a man in his 40s/ 50s would be attracted to a 15yo.

More like ephebophilia, no?

Reply 32

KimKallstrom

He knew her age from the start. Granted, she looks closer to 15 dog years but let's not pretend he didn't know exactly what she was - a school girl in year 10, not someone he met in a club and later found out was underage.

Reply 33

llys

Original post by jam277

That's nonsense.

Why? It's an observation. Ask any teacher or psychologist: 1 year makes a LOT of difference in your teenage years.

I agree that many 16-year-olds are still a bit immature (obviously), but on average they are much more mature than 15-year-olds. I don't see how anyone could seriously argue otherwise. Pretty much every teenager I have ever known was more mature at 16 than they were at 15.

---

About the age of consent: I think the age of consent probably comes from a time when a lot of people were leaving school at 15 and going into work where they would have been surrounded by adults rather than other teens. As a consequence, they would have grown up a lot faster than today. Today's teenagers are a bit infantilised because they have comparatively few responsibilities and are not interacting with adults as much. So I agree that there is an argument to be made to raise the age of consent for sexual intercourse with adults.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 34

ChaoticButterfly

Original post by anarchism101

Plus I think a lot of people believe laws against such acts exist for the wrong reasons; they think they exist because of the 'yuck factor' - that merely society finding a particular sex act, such as a child having sex with an adult, disgusting, is in itself a reason to ban it - rather than because of the victim's inability to consent. It may not sound important, but I do think it's something that crosses into other more legitimate questions of sexuality.

Agreed. We don't live in a country where we outlaw activities just because it weirds out a large part of the population. Otherwise gay sex would be illegal. Which is where homophobia leads some people to equate paedophilia with homosexuality.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 35

RamocitoMorales

Original post by llys

I think that, in terms of maturity, there is a big difference between 15 and 16.

Based on what? :curious:

Reply 36

llys

Original post by RamocitoMorales

Based on what? :curious:

Psychology, brain development, observation. Do you not think you were more mature at 16 than at 15? Pretty much every teenager I have ever known was more mature at 16 than they were at 15...

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 37

Jebedee

Original post by al_94

That dude got money he's the last person you should be feeling sorry for

Maybe that's what this is mostly about. People love to go after people with money who do or say something wrong.

Not stricter than US though, you can get heavy rap just for having some 17 yr old boob pics on your phone.

Reply 38

unprinted

Yes.

He knew what he was doing was illegal, but he did it anyway.

It also wasn't in any way a relationship of equals.

Reply 39

llys

Original post by Twinpeaks

Yeah I guess the replies are right. I just dislike how the media clings onto the fact that she's a "child". I was watching the BBC news earlier and the presenter kept saying "the child" in every passing sentence. It was predatory of him yes, she was underage yes. But referring to her as a child draws a picture of a 10 year old.

I agree there are degrees here, but this is reflected in the sentencing guidelines which give greater penalties to offences against people under 13. Where it is consensual and the age gap is less than 4 years it is unlikely there would even be a prosecution.

However, the talk of a 4-10 year sentence is overblown IMO. I mean a rapist gets 5 years. You can get away with manslaughter for around 7 years. Pretty sure teachers who have had sex with a pupil have gotten away with much less. Yet grooming, kissing (on one occasion) and fingering (on one occasion) will get him 4 years? That seems disproportional.