Child Prostitution

Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 4, 2006, 10:02:

kids don't have it easy in Colombia this is slightly off-topic, but I just read in El Pais about this parent throwing his kid out of the window from a third floor. The child died. The father doesn't think he's done anything wrong: "I was just disciplining the kid", he stated.

Desi,
(no cheers)

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone
else's life.

-Kobi Yamada

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 4, 2006, 14:01:

just a thing I normally wouldn't even touch a topic like this but have to point out that I don't think Colombia's problem with underage prostitutes in the 16-17 year old group is "Child Prostitution." If you want to see the horror of child prostitution go to Viet Nam or Thailand.

I'm not defending underage prostitution but it's a different beast.

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Wastelandlive says on Feb 4, 2006, 14:54:

No offense to Morphus... But this isn't the kind of thing that you would even be aware of if you're not directly involved.

I'd like to think that the folk at DAS care enough to be giving this a good hard look. Even the Mexicans are showing a little special motivation in going after these guys.

Wasteland

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Wastelandlive says on Feb 4, 2006, 15:43:

If you can't afford it, you shouldn't [have children] A very first-world perspective.

It seems obvious to us, no? "These people can't afford one kid. What are they doing popping out five! Are they ignorant?"

I tried to google you an article... and I can't remember it's title. But the gist is this: they're neither ignorant, nor illogical. There are several factors motivating their behavior, but the dominant factor is financial insecurity.

Poor Colombians don't worry about thier IRA's. Nor are they stressed out over the future of social security. The notion that they could POSSIBLY fund their own retirement is so far out of the realm of possibility that they don't waste time with it... they're just trying to figure out how to eat TODAY.

And if they can scrape by feeding two, they can probably manage three, four, or five.

Their only possible retirement plan is their kids, who will take care of them in their dodderage, as they took care of their parents. And in the midst of poverty and high mortality, you better have a few kids if you are counting on one or two to survive to adulthood and make it in the rough and tumble world.

So - Morphus - you shamelessly perverted alpha dog - I'm suggesting that birth rates decline WITH prosperity, not as a precurser to prosperity.

You've got it precisely - backwards -

Wasteland

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rocinante says on Feb 4, 2006, 16:43:

DELETE THIS THREAD before it gets to the google search engine.

There's no such thing as bad publicity - ever heard of that?

The short of it is that there used to be a sign in my neighborhood posted in the window of a mom and pop store - it read: "Please don't buy drugs on this corner".

Well, wouldn't you know that sign more than doubled sales for the dealers.


By posting this you are giving publicity to this problem that exists in Colombia. Now all anyone has to do is put some stuff in a search engine and they'll get to this thread. Why don't some of you just post addresses and areas where one can find this? Lets make it easy for foreigners to condsider coming to Colombia - when they never would have suspected.

So many "johns" look locally for prostitutes - then one day they go to some website and find out about cheap whores in Thailand. They book the flight and before you know it they are living in Thailand, adding to the economy but for the wrong reason.

As long as there are buyers there will be seller. This type of thread helps to perpetuate the means of the buyers. I kinow this is the oldest profession and will never be wiped out but we're talking children here, exploited by their parents becuase of hard times. If there were no buyers.....

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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Wastelandlive says on Feb 4, 2006, 18:08:

How's that for a first world perspective? Pretty harsh dude. Preeeeeeeetttttyyyyyyy harsh.

Wasteland

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paisa29 says on Feb 4, 2006, 18:14:

http://www.ecpat.com/eng/Ecpat_inter/projects/monitoring/online_database/countries.asp?arrCountryID=37&CountryProfile=&CSEC=Overview,Prostitution&Implement=Recovery&Nationalplans=&DisplayBy=optDisplayCountry



In order to better comprehend the commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) phenomenon in Colombia, one must consider the historic, cultural, social and economic background which frames this issue. Colombia has one of the continent’s (and the world’s) most unequal distributions of income. The inequalities in education and healthcare within the national population limit work opportunities and social mobility for the majority. Furthermore, an armed conflict of unprecedented scale is currently being waged within Colombia and has taken place for over 30 years . This conflict is officially limited to eight of the 32 departments and affects 20% of the Colombian population. Approximately half of the Colombian territory is controlled by guerrillas (FARC or ELN), and this territory is constantly being disputed by paramilitary forces.
The above mentioned conditions have traditionally worked disproportionately affected underprivileged members of society, such as poor women and children. Children are the greatest casualties/victims in Colombia’s ongoing armed conflict. 42% of Colombia’s population is under 18yrs of age (15 million girls and boys).Of these 15 million children, 5.6 million currently live in conditions of poverty and 1.3 million of these children live below the poverty line. These boys and girls constitute around 65% of the 2 million people who are currently displaced as a direct result of the conflict.

At present, more than two million rural Colombians have been displaced by the country's violence over the past 15 years. Many are now struggling to survive in the unfamiliar and intimidating environment of Colombia's large cities. With an unemployment rate close to 20 percent, it is virtually impossible for many displaced people to find formal jobs. The majority of them work in the informal sector peddling cheap goods or shining shoes on the streets while some have turned to crime in order to survive. Many parents send their children out into the streets to help support the family by stealing, selling chewing gum and cigarettes, or worse, selling themselves.

The country has experienced massive migration due to the violence and also the high levels of unemployment, often associated with neoliberalism (at least during its initial stages).

Some women and children may enter into prostitution as a means of overcoming economic hardship. Despite this, many advocates of neoliberalism cite the internationalization of the economy as a benefit to all countries. As one result of the internationalization of the economy, tourism is an industry many countries wish to promote. Colombia, despite its tremendous violence and insecurity has attempted to encourage tourism, particularly in the historically rich city of Cartagena de Indias. Unfortunately, some tourists go to Colombia not only to enjoy its beaches and architecture but also to sexually exploit its women and children.

Sources:

Colombia Journal.Combating Child Prostitution in Colombia. Accessed on 14 October 2003 from: http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia111.htm

L.Mayorga and P.Velasquez. Bleak Pasts, Bleak Futures. In Sun,Sex and Gold. ed Kamala Kempadoo.Rowman and Littlefield.Lanham.1999.p.158

World Vision Latin America & Caribbean. Rostros de Violencia. World Vision International.San Jose. 2001.p.57.

Last updated: 23 December 2003



Child Prostitution


Despite the fact that there are no concrete figures on the number of children and adolescents exploited through prostitution in Colombia, estimates from the police and various NGOs place the numbers at between 20,000 and 35,000 . The Association Against Child Abuse estimated that 220,000 children are victims of sexual exploitation. The Colombia Family Welfare Institute ( ICBF) estimates that in Bogotá alone there are over 10,000 girls and nearly 1,000 boys exploited as child prostitutes. Although there is no consensus on the amount of Colombian children and adolescents currently engaged in Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), all sources (namely, local police, Interpol, the RENACER NGO, etc.) coincide in affirming that there has been an increase in CSEC over the last decade.
The problem is widespread throughout Colombia, however some cities present a greater incidence of CSEC than others. These cities are: Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Baranquilla, Santa Marta, San Andrés and Magangue. In addition, CSEC is common in places where there is a concentration of men whose work separates them from home for prolonged periods. In Colombia, this is the case for men in the armed forces, truckers and male migrant workers (miners, oil drillers) who spend long periods working in isolated conditions and poor conditions. In Colombia these concentrations of men are found in areas such as Guajira, Chocó, Meta, and Casanare.

Studies on the problem of CSEC in Colombia tend to be carried out at a regional level. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to come across a national picture of the issue or even national figures on CSEC. Regional variations directly influence the modality through which CSEC presents itself and is carried out within each specific region. Nevertheless, two different types of modalities of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children have been identified in Colombia and are used to express the realities found within the different regions.

In Colombia CSEC is manifested in the following manner: overtly (in the streets) and covertly “clandestinely” (in private establishments such as: bars, brothels, massage parlours or in the offender’s home/hotel room). In overt forms of CSEC, children are generally forced or induced to work in the street, under the “protection” of procurers. Victims often obtain this "protection’ from their romantic partners. Conversely, covert CSEC is defined as such because the commercial sexual exploitation takes place within “discrete” establishments such as bars, massage parlours, and brothels. Illegal substances are readily available within these establishments, for the clandestine nature of these establishments provides the perfect scenario for the sale and use of drugs,. Therefore, covert Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) is often linked to illegal drug use/sale.

Covert CSEC includes exploitation that is arranged through phone/beeper contact. This sort of exploitation is often carried out in public places, for example public toilets in shopping malls. A report given by the Inter- American Children’s Institute (IIN) noted that children who are exploited through the means of phone/beeper contact, rarely do so as a means of survival. That is, these exploited children belong to the middle classes and enjoy higher levels of education. The IIN postulates that these children are exploited through CSEC to satisfy their desire for material goods such as new cell phones and designer goods or simply to supplement their incomes. These children, are not necessarily victims of harsh economic realities evidenced in the high rate of unemployment, nor are these children displaced as a result of rural violence. The age of children who engage in this form of CSEC tends to range from 13 to 17 yrs of age.

On the other hand, children exploited through overt CSEC, are vulnerable to this form of exploitation due to personal situations characterised by hunger, neglect, abuse and poverty. These exploited children generally lack proper documentation. They are therefore prevented from accessing health and education services. Consequently, most overt CSEC victims are characterized by having low education levels. On average these children have studied up to grades three or four.

In general, victims of CSEC report that they grew up in poverty and came from broken homes where they experienced physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuse. Moreover, a pattern was noticed, when a child’s (usually female) mother started a new relationship with a man who made sexual advances towards the child and in some cases attempted rape. In such cases, often the situation further deteriorated once the child attempted to tell their mother about the incident, and their mother refused to believe them. This type of experience makes young girls particularly vulnerable to exploitation as they are often subsequently rejected by the family after such an event. The age of children who engage in overt forms of CSEC tends to range from 13 to 17 years, however it must be noted that some children first engaged in CSEC between nine and eleven years of age (the earliest ages reported in a study carried out in the Atlantic coast of Colombia)

As in covert forms of CSEC, alcohol and drug use are present in overt CSEC. Some children use drugs by their own volition, others have been induced or forced into drug use and others use drugs to enable them to withstand this kind of lifestyle. Drug use further complicates the CSEC issue because it is associated with violent and criminal behaviours. Thus drug-using victims of CSEC are generally turned away from youth rehabilitation programs, for they are considered to be juvenile delinquents and are taken to detention centres instead. Once in detention centres they are placed in cells with adults, where they are often further subjected to sexual abuse and mistreatment. The fear that children have of being taken by the police and placed in the inhuman conditions that characterize police detention centres, helps enable "pimps’ and policemen to blackmail victims of CSEC, thereby becoming involved in Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children as third party beneficiaries.

Sources:

L.Mayorga and P.Velasquez. Bleak Pasts, Bleak Futures. In Sun,Sex and Gold. ed Kamala Kempadoo.Rowman and Littlefield.Lanham.1999.p.158

R.Ronzoni. Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children. Accessed on 14October 2003 from: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/40/127.html

Colombia Journal.Combating Child Prostitution in Colombia. Accessed on 14 October 2003 from: http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia111.htm

S.Cardenas &N. Rivera. Renacer.Unicef Colombia. Bogota.2001. p35.

Violencia y Explotacion Sexual contra Niños y Niñas en América Latina y el Caribe. Conference Report.Instituto Interamericano del Niño.Montevideo.March 1999.p31

Last updated: 23 December 2003

"Fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality" Conrad Hilton

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lockheed says on Feb 4, 2006, 18:46:

The hard truth Alot of times it's the family members that are the pimps, lazy ass mom or dad, or big sister, or aunt prostitude that did the world, will guide the child into this hard to come back world.

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harocha says on Feb 5, 2006, 13:33:

From what I see Mr. Hollywood is right about the ages and reasons that will define Child Prostitution, If a young girl between 15 and 17 years old decides to sleep with a/some men because she wants to have access to the latest cloth and the latest cool things that fashion puts on the market, that should not be considerated Child Prostitution, you will be amazed how much these young girls know about life and how to manipulate a man more than anyone at this forum. I know few cases of 16 and 17 years old girls who go to a diferent city and play the perfect game home, liying to the family in order to leave for a week, so they can have a luxurious life on a 5 stars hotel, with everything paid,I can asure you that these girls are very consiensous of what they are doing, no one is forcing them to do so, and they are having what they considere the best time of their lives... I also can tell you that these things are not happening just in Colombia, they are happening everywhere you go, I heard from a Dad in France who told me few things about his little 14 YO girl who was doing similar things with a group of friends, and she said they did it "JUST FOR FAN" they like sex, and they like to be spoiled by men, I am talking here about some girls that didn't need any thing, because Dad is rich enough to pay for anything, but they want the excitement and pleasure of the situation. Also there are several documentaries on the American TV, where young girls between the ages of 13 to 16, play the finger and oral game with the older boys at the high schools, and the reason why they do these things is because they want to be virgens, but like the wild games, sex in exchange for bear and pot, and here we are talking about girls caming from American families, who are the perfect daugthers and who said that these are the games they play at the parties, because everyone does it, you are not cool if you don't do it, it is about been ahead of the game, and the one who gets to be fingered and licked by the biggest amount of cool kids in the school, is the winner that summer of fall. So in my opinion todays days, is really hard to describe what case can be considerate "CHILD PROSTITUTION" and it is even harder to decide what countries are the number 1.

PS. A lot of the Gamines, including young girls who sale their bodies in the coast 90% of them are kids coming from Medellin, Bogota and few other Inland cities, if you would like to prove it just talk to them, and you will hear the paisa or rolo accent, the reason very simple, kids on these areas expirience a lot of physical and mental harm from parents, you easilly will hear an Inland adult (NO ALL OF THEM, BUT A LOT) telling the children things like: Muevase Huevon, Hijueputa, Malparido como se le ocurre ser tan bestia, etc. etc, etc,... and all these things follow by a lot of hitting with belts and branches of trees, and even things like Desi just described on her prior comment. But remember you get to see worts things over seas, like that mother in California 1-1/2 months ago that got rid of her 3 kids on the Oakland bay.

I wish people think twice before bringing kids to this world, it is not easy to control the way they decide their own lives... It is not easy to be a parent, and their is less easy to be a kid.

Have a goodone.

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mzzmerized says on Feb 5, 2006, 14:43:

OK...my 2 cents worth I had the misfortune to actually become well acquainted with a pedophile when I lived in a small residencia in San Andres in the late 80s. He had been going there and to Costa Rica and Panama for years. He was not remotely ashamed of what he was doing...he told me all his techniques...find a poor family with a young daughter (a BIG family, lots of mouths to feed)befriend the family, buy them a refrigerator, a motorcycle, something like that...start taking the young girl on little outings (his age range was between 8 and 12). It is a horrible combination where the families MUST have known what was going on...but still let it happen...poverty can be so grinding that you turn a blind eye...and there are men who take total advantage of this. This guy was so old and so disgusting (physically as well as mentally)...he had an oxygen tank...was a coke addict...I almost used to puke to talk to him but it was also fascinating to have such a repulsive specimen telling the truth about pedophilia...about the grooming (they like to think of it as romancing) that takes place...they can justify ANYTHING. The guy was in his 60s at the time...how many lives had he laid waste to? I later heard he had died...and I was happy and I hope there is a special place in hell for him.

And just to tell you that when you are in these third world countries you are not in Kansas anymore...the owner of the residencia knew exactly what he was up to there...her granddaughter was one of his fantasy objects (although I don't think anything came of it even though he left her his motorcycle)and she was actually very sad when told of his passing...he had been a good and generous customer of her establishment.

You need to know that it is not the same mentality as we have developed up here with all our physical comforts.

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Rubiazo says on Feb 5, 2006, 15:13:

Just to clarify It is legal in Colombia to have a 14 year old girlfriend and have sex with her.
It is legal to marry her.
It is legal to have a one night stand with her.
It is NOT legal to procure the services of a 14 year old prostitute. The minimum age for THAT is 18. This law is exactly the same in Brazil and Canada, BTW, and in most other places.
Oh, and if you are taking advantage of someone's 14 year old daughter, don't be surprised if some people with machetes approach you and next thing you know you are sushi. Knowing the law ain't everything :P

And just as an aside, I don't think any of you could even fill the little toe of either a prostitute OR a pimp's shoes, even a half-ass one. AND pimping as it exists in North America is all but nonexistent in places like Colombia, because of the differences in the laws and how they are enforced. I don't know why you all feel the need to go off on a subject you obviously know next to nothing about!

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Rubiazo says on Feb 5, 2006, 18:22:

Just google it if you don't believe me. But I was born and raised there, and it's 14 across the board, except for gay sex, or prostitutes, which is 18. It has never been 16 in any way, shape or form.

As a matter of fact I had a 20 year old friend in HS in Canada who had a 14 year old gf and the parents wanted to file rape charges and couldn't because she was already 14!

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paisa29 says on Feb 6, 2006, 06:18:

http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?idc=173351 Registra Colombia 30 mil casos de abuso sexual contra niños en 2004
( Notimex en Bogotá )
( 2005-03-25 )

El aumento del abuso sexual contra menores es "alarmante" en Colombia, donde se reportaron 30 mil casos en 2004, aunque la cifra es conservadora debido a que la mayoría de las víctimas se niega a denunciar su situación, dijo hoy una experta.

La investigadora del Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF), Tania Correa, dijo a Notimex que la explotación y abuso sexual de niños y adolescentes "se está desbordando en todo el país, y en particular en ciudades de alto turismo".

Estadísticas del organismo mostraron que los reportes de abuso sexual en la población infantil superaron los 30 mil casos el año pasado, contra 27 mil en 2003 y 13 mil que fueron registrados en 2002, lo que demuestra el avance de este flagelo.

El 84 por ciento de los exámenes practicados por el Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses involucró a niñas con una edad promedio de 13 años, mientras que 16 por ciento se hizo en niños entre los nueve y 12 años, precisó Correa.

La investigadora, sin embargo, aseguró que "a mí no me interesan las cifras, me interesa la parte cualitativa (del fenómeno), pero si de cifras se trata, ahí también están".

Para el ICBF, la mayoría de las víctimas de abuso o explotación sexual infantil no denuncian sus casos ante las autoridades competentes, lo que significa que el "fenómeno es más preocupante".

A juicio de Correa, la explotación sexual infantil tiene una fuerte presencia en todas las ciudades capitales de Colombia, pero las mafias de este tipo de negocio están abriendo nuevos sitios en las zonas de mayor flujo turístico nacional e internacional.

De esta manera, destinos turísticos como Cartagena, Santa Marta y San Andrés Islas son los sitios donde se ha detectado un auge de este tipo de comercio, donde se combinan los ingresos de los turistas, con las necesidades sociales de la población.

"Los sitios están muy camuflados y en la investigación comprobamos que se utilizan las discotecas, hoteles, agencias de viaje, apartamentos, casas y supuestos gimnasios para la explotación sexual", aseguró Correa.

La experta del ICBF advirtió que en Colombia opera una "mafia muy secreta", con mucho dinero, que mueve el negocio del sexo y en especial el infantil, lo cual "se llama explotación y abuso de menores, no tiene otro nombre".

Explicó que la explotación y abuso sexual de menores es un problema que afecta a todos los sectores sociales y "en los sitios se encuentran menores de escasos recursos económicos, que es la mayoría, pero también hay de estratos altos".

"En el proceso de investigación, encontramos tres menores de 18 años que cada fin de semana viajan de Bogotá a sitios turísticos para ofrecer sus servicios y poder pagar el semestre en la universidad", relató Correa.

Los investigadores, incluso, encontraron casos donde los padres o padrastros de los menores ofrecen el sexo de sus hijos para buscar recursos para sobrevivir.

Correa observó que lo más impactante es que "las niñas o niños hacen esto por hambre, por ignorancia y lo más triste es que las familias son partícipes de este proceso y no hacen nada por defenderlo, por defender a sus hijos".

"Una niña de 14 años nos dijo que ella no quería vivir más, que no quería seguir ofreciéndose a los hombres, que la vida así no vale la pena. Estas expresiones son terribles, tenemos que pellizcarnos ante este panorama", dijo.

Para enfrentar el problema, Correa aseguró que el ICBF está adelantando una campaña nacional para sensibilizar sobre la gravedad de este fenómeno a los padres de familia, profesores de escuelas, colegios y a las autoridades locales.

"Fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality" Conrad Hilton

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elmodefoque says on Feb 6, 2006, 06:24:

did any of you guys see, nbc, "nightline" show on internet child predators? man, there are a lotta sick modefoques out there, i thought us corronchos were sick with burritas but these modefoques should be put to sleep.

I'll get there, when I get there!

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untreated says on Feb 7, 2006, 06:15:

Yeah I saw it Last month when I was in Houston, lots of sick stuff on TV these days.

Elmo, you been online too much, c'mon down already.

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Pete E says on Feb 7, 2006, 08:51:

Child Abuse El Pais,the main newspaper in Cali has been running articles on child abuse.Yesterday there was one 30 or so people were arrested.my spanish is not good but they mentioned under 14 several times,I think this is considered child abuse.
To me there is a difference between a true child and a girl who is sexually mature,that is able to concieve.I am not justifying sex with he very young but a girl who is physically a woman is a whole different deal than a child.And the guy who has sex with true children is a whole different character.
I had a niece,actually of my ex wife.She had her first period at 9.looked good at 11.When she was 12 she had a 20 year old boy friend.Gave her family fits but I think she is under control now.Just turned 15.
Some 17 year olds can be really experienced here.One ex girlfriend of mine was married at 16,had a miscarriage then her son at 17.NOT a child at that point.
My grandmother was 15 when my father was born.I guess grandad would have been in trouble with the sex police in the US now.
In California a few years ago they were prosecuting a 18 year old mexican guy whose's 17 year old girl friend had a child by him.They were living together,he was trying to provide for them.
Also,a high tech executive was being prosecuted for paying the family to marry a 15 year old girl from the far east.The girl testified,claimed she was 16 and wanted to marry him.
Bottom line,my opinion,sex with a girl 13 and under should be discouraged,but its a whole different deal than with a true child,a pre menstral girl.Western civilization keeps raising the bar,thinks 17 is a child.Most of the world and for most of history the thinking was much different.

Pete

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Albatross says on Feb 7, 2006, 09:03:

Nightline Report... I saw it too. I thought it was crap... just another example of "News" as entertainment and a poor excuse for Justice.

What were those guys arrested for... there wasn't a minor involved AT ALL. When people are arrested for what they MIGHT be thinking, then we've got more serious problems than a few losers surfin' the net.

The real perversion is this: A guy who thinks a girl is over 18 can be arrested because the FACT is that she's a minor, but if a guy thinks she's a minor, he can STILL be arrested even though the FACT is that she's actually a cop over 30.

Chalk another one up to anti-male feminism.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Feb 7, 2006, 09:15:

Speaking of feminism Betty Friedan died over the weekend. But so did another person who had a far greater influence on the culture - Al Lewis, "Grandpa" from "The Munsters." Ninety five years old and always seemed to have a cigar in his mouth. Those vampires must have good genes.



;-)

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elmodefoque says on Feb 7, 2006, 09:24:

I’m no Christian crusader living by the word of god, and I’m definitely not a wet blanket kind of guy, I ‘m down to just about anything except, stuff going up my butt, well, if J-Lo wanted to shove a finger up my ass then is fine. Another, I don’t mess with minors, any broad over 18 is fair game. Any burrito over 5 years (15 in human years) is fair game too. what I found fascinating and event taped it was watching those guys reaction when they saw the reporter walk in with the guys holding booze and condoms trying to explain what plans they had with a 13 , 14 year old girl/guy.

I'll get there, when I get there!

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Albatross says on Feb 7, 2006, 09:31:

Deer Caught in the Headlights Yeah, it was kinda funny, they would either make a run for it or try some lame excuse, one of them actually said that the booze he brought was for the kids MOTHER.(I'm not making this up)

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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elmodefoque says on Feb 7, 2006, 09:36:

how about the guy who claimed his computer was acting up and the age he saw was 21 not 14. The 62 year old man who claimed to go there to sell a house, to a 13 year old boy! jijiji

I'll get there, when I get there!

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 7, 2006, 10:23:

not a child? A thirteen-year old girl may (and often is) already in puberty and physiologically able to have a child. A 12-year-old boy may also be able to become father to a child. Psychologically both of them are still children. Anybody who has raised up a family is fully aware of that. The age limit of consent should, if anything, be raised in today's society where children mature more slowly than in our grandparents' generation. A hundred years ago girls were married off as soon as they started to menstruate and had to take on adult responsibilities when still in puberty (sexually mature). This, however, has changed in most of the developed world where our young ones have the right and the priviledge to remain children, supported by their parents and protected by laws until they reach 18, which is considered the treshold of adulthood.

Yes, teenagers in Colombia (and in the rest of the "western" world at least) are very well informed and and know more about sex than some of their parents. Many have already had their first sexual encounters, but not with the goodwill and approval of their families, because we all who have raised up teenagers to adulthood know well that between sexual and psychological maturity there is a huge difference.

Technically you might be right that a sexually mature 13-year-old is different from a seven-year-old; yet they are two children in different stages of development.

I was looking for that article in El Pais, but couldn't find it. I've been following the debate on child abuse in that newspaper, but missed that one.

Cheers,
Desi

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone
else's life.

-Kobi Yamada

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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