The Forensic Nurse

Sexual assualt knows no boundries. No matter what race, what nationality, what socio-economic status you hail from can spare you from the potential turmoil. 

 So is the case of Lawrence Taylor, the former NFL linebacker great for the New York Giants. Thursday morning the Hall of Fame linebacker was arrested in his hotel in Rockland County for soliciting sex from a 16 year old girl.

 Taylor was arrested when police were told that the minor had been delivered to his hotel room by another man, Rasheed Davis. Taylor stated at a news conference that he had paid $300 to the man for delivering her. He claims not to have engaged in sex with the minor girl. His Attorney Arthur Aidala state that Taylor is “a loving and family man” and that “My Client did not have sex with anybody. ”

The girl, who has not been identified because she is a minor, was reported missing back in march as a suspected runaway. ESPN.com reported “Early Thursday morning, Davis punched and kicked her, drove her to the hotel against her will and told her she had to have sex with Taylor, police said. When she refused, Davis handed her over to Taylor, who sexually assaulted her, they said. Taylor paid her $300, which she gave to Davis”.

After the alleged incident, she was somehow able to use a cell phone to get a message out. Her uncle received a text message from her with an address and contacted New York Police department to investigate. Officers found the girl along with Rasheed Davis at an address in the Bronx. Davis was charged with unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child. It was then when police were directed to Lawrence Taylors whereabouts. The hotel is located  about a half mile from the Spook Rock Golf Course, where Taylor frequently plays.

Mr. Taylor was released after posting a $75,000 bond and subsequently driven away from the courthouse by Mark Lepselter, a friend and business associate.

Ramapo Chief of Police Peter Brower said Taylor was cooperative when police took him into custody at around 4:00AM. Brower would not comment on if Lawrence Taylor knew the age of the girl, but did state that “Ignorance is not an excuse to an individual’s age”. In New York, third-degree rape is a charge levied when the victim is under the age of consent, which is 17 years of age.

A 21 year old man in austrailia is claiming that he is innocent of commiting unlawful sexual acts with a 10 year old minor female because the acts were consentual on both of their parts.

The Man, Brodie James Watson  is charged with four counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13, six counts of indecent dealing , and one count of possessing an article with intent to injure.

The defense attorney for mr. Watson, Andrew Parker has asked the local magistrate if Watson could live with a relative if he stipulated not to go near the girl or her mother.

The magistrate has denied the request, stating that the acts commited were serious enough that mr. Watson should remain in custody.

Mr Watson stated during the proceeding: “Can we just sort it out right here and right now … because … I am innocent … it was consensual” The magistrate informed him that  “It can’t be consensual if she’s a 10 year-old girl.”

Its quite disturbing that someone is incapable of being able to see that it would ever be acceptable to engage in such acts with an elementry school aged child. Most children of this age can barely decide what to have for breakfast, let alone be able to give an informed consent to engage in sexual acts. We have an age of consent for a reason.

Canada recently updated its laws concerning the age of sexual consent this may. The laws are being rewriten to bump that age by two full years.

Under the new statute a person must be 16 years of age to give their consent to engage in sexual intercourse. Any person who engages in sexual activities with a person under that age limit may face criminal charges. The previous law established in 1892 set that age of consent to 14 years of age.

The law does allow for what is known as a close-in-age provision of five years. That means that it would be legal for a 15 year old to engage in a sexual relationship with a person up to 19 years of age, IF  that older individual was not in a position of exploitation or in a position of trust or authority over the minor.

While most have hailed the new law as something needed and overdue, some gay rights organizations feel that the law is incomplete. It is currently illegal for Canadians under 18 to have anal sex, which means that two consenting 17 year olds would still be in violation of the law.