Matt Gaetz Is Said to Be Investigated Over Possible Sexual Relationship With a Girl,

[Lynarii]

Wait, so he began a relationship when the woman was 17? Age of consent laws differ depending on the state you’re in, with majority being 16 and 17. I’m assuming the consent age is 18 in his state, but I honestly don’t see this as him being some sexual predator because she was 17. Do we change our view on that when people cross state lines?

Regardless, he shouldn’t have done it.

No, I think that even if she was 18 or 19 at the time his behavior would have been predatory. Powerful people seeking out young women for sex parties is a predatory action, full stop. The difference between her being 17 or 18 is not a question of 'predatory vs not' but a question of 'legal vs not'. If she was 18, he'd still be kinda a shitty person for it, but he wouldn't be breaking any laws because it's not inherently illegal to be a less than perfect person. At 17, in that state, it /is/ illegal. Which means he's both a bad person AND he broke laws in the process.

[Endus]

I mean, it kinda is, since, again, in majority of US states the age of consent isn’t 18.

That's avoiding the issue.

Gaetz and the girl were in Florida, where the age of consent is 18. And the argument is he took her out of state, which makes it not just statutory rape, but also child sex trafficking.

Legally we can say, yeah, he’s fucked because of the state he’s living in. But do I think it’s wrong if an 18+year old has sex with a 17 year old? No.

Gaetz was 36. Stop acting like this was a small issue. She's a minor they wouldn't trust to vote, and he was more than twice her age.

I don’t changed my mind on that simply because I go from one state where consent is 17, and into another where it’s 18.

"Your mind" doesn't matter one whit.

In fact, what you're basically describing here isn't a defense, it's motive.

[Breccia]

do I think it’s wrong for an 18+ year old to have sex with a 17 year old? No.

The good news, is that this opinion seems to be pretty strong in the Republican Party. Trump has now endorsed multiple grown men who fucked children.

- - - Updated - - -

A plurality of people live somewhere 14 is the age of consent.

The Republican Party is not the plurality, thankfully. Oh, you meant something else. Gosh. Is my face red.

[Lynarii]

I mean, it kinda is, since, again, in majority of US states the age of consent isn’t 18. Legally we can say, yeah, he’s fucked because of the state he’s living in. But do I think it’s wrong for an 18+ year old to have sex with a 17 year old? No.

I don’t changed my mind on that simply because I go from one state where consent is 17, and into another where it’s 18.

Maybe you should at least consider changing your mind on pedophilia being fine just because a location that is NOT the one being discussed allows it?

[Endus]

The good news, is that this opinion seems to be pretty strong in the Republican Party. Trump has now endorsed multiple grown men who fucked children.

It's like with the Catholic Church.

Pedophiles and such seek out institutions which are supportive of, or at least willing to collaborate in the concealment of, your particular brand of abusive conduct. It isn't an accident when things like this group themselves primarily in a particular institution; it speaks to deep-seated attitudes within that group and what they accept as a norm.

[Breccia]

we don’t know the specifics of that relationship and if she was even involved in the trafficking, etc.

I mean...could you try reading the first 20 pages of the thread? We have Venmo payments and plane tickets. Also, his co-conspirator confessed. We know a fair amount.

[Machismo]

Can we stop trying to defend creepy dudes who like to bang underage girls?

It is interesting how many GOPers find themselves Epstein-adjacent.

[Edge-]

Again, as of right now, we don’t know the specifics of that relationship and if she was even involved in the trafficking, etc. I’m looking at this solely as him having a relationship with a 17 year old.

If he involved her in the trafficking and prostitution, then yeah, it’s absolutely wrong.

A dude in his 30's (or a woman in her 30's) shouldn't be having a romantic/sexual relationship with a 17 year old. Period. At all. Stay friends and start fucking like rabbits when they're 18, but prior to that it should be completely, 100% no go no matter what. That's not just a few years difference, that's being almost twice the age of a minor.

Even if we ignore crossing state lines and prostitution angles, the age of consent in FL remains 18 so he still broke state/federal law, even if the feds generally don't prosecute that stuff unless it's egregious.

[Endus]

Again, as of right now, we don’t know the specifics of that relationship and if she was even involved in the trafficking, etc. I’m looking at this solely as him having a relationship with a 17 year old.

If he involved her in the trafficking and prostitution, then yeah, it’s absolutely wrong.

Is there a particular reason you've chosen to spend your time defending and supporting this particular child rapist, rather than educating yourself as to the facts and allegations, then?

[Breccia]

I mean, majority of Democratic states are where the 16 and 17 consent laws are.

I was talking about the issue being with Gaetz, and others, being caught doing so and the GOP refusing to act. Possibly because they're also okay with having sex with children.

[Endus]

Engaging in sex with a 17 year old is not pedophilia.

"Ephebephilia is totes different from pedophilia" is not a meaningful argument. It's the "I use greek words to sound smarter" version of "if there's grass on the field, play ball, hyuk hyuk."

[Lynarii]

Can we stop trying to defend creepy dudes who like to bang underage girls?

It is interesting how many GOPers find themselves Epstein-adjacent.

I mean, I'm okay with knowing who on the forums is willing to come out in support of underage sex trafficking. It helps me to tell the difference between people I disagree with but can see value in learning their thoughts on topics, and people whose opinions have no worth to me whatsoever.

[Endus]

I mean, I'm okay with knowing who on the forums is willing to come out in support of underage sex trafficking. It helps me to tell the difference between people I disagree with but can see value in learning their thoughts on topics, and people whose opinions have no worth to me whatsoever.

Also, the idea that "don't judge me for fucking children if it's technically not illegal for me to do so" is, like, a super fucking bad take.

Even if the age of consent were 16 and prostitution were legal in Florida, this should still be considered grounds to have Gaetz forced out of office for disgracing the office and unethical conduct and so on and so forth.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

It is kind of funny because the people that are demanding proof over this are the same people that believe Hilary Clinton sex traffics through pizza parlors in DC. Because.. well.. Alex Jones said so.. thats why...

[Breccia]

I mean, I'm okay with knowing who on the forums is willing to come out in support of underage sex trafficking.

To be fair, WB has said the trafficking part was not okay. But we're rapidly approaching "Clinton was impeached for lying to Congress, not for fucking an intern" level of hair splitting. Based on the evidence as we've seen it so far, Gaetz knew the law said 18 and intentionally broke the law to avoid it. The parallel is pretty fucking similar.

[Lynarii]

Engaging in sex with a 17 year old is not pedophilia.

You are saying that taking a person who is illegal for you to have sex with, because they are under the legal age of consent, and flying them across state lines in order to pay them to have sex with you anyway, is fine. This is very clearly covered under 'Child Sex Trafficking'. You are explicitly stating that child sex trafficking is okay to do. You are wrong.

[Endus]

Again, I don’t support underage sex trafficking.

I just don’t care if someone 18+ has sex with a 17 year old. What I find hypocritical is certain people in here also agreeing on that age of consent being perfectly acceptable... but not when it involves a particular person that they don’t like because of the particular party they’re in.

Literally not one person has made that argument. You're making up bullshit to try and make this partisan.

We can oppose child trafficking for prostitution without it being partisan. If you can't, well, that says everything we need to know about you.

[Machismo]

Again, I don’t support underage sex trafficking.

I just don’t care if someone 18+ has sex with a 17 year old. What I find hypocritical is certain people in here also agreeing on that age of consent being perfectly acceptable... but not when it involves a particular person that they don’t like because of the particular party they’re in.

Sure, the law is the law, and if the state you’re in says the consent age is 18 then you better obey it. I’m just not going to clutch my pearls and scream how wrong and disgusting it is, and base that decision on the consent law of my state.

So, to be clear, you'd be fine if your teenage daughter started banging a 60-year-old dude?

[Endus]

No. I’m not saying that.

Yes. You are.

The facts have been laid out for ages, and you're willfully ignoring them so you can manufacture a defense for Gaetz that ignores those facts, apparently solely because he's Republican and thus you feel obliged to find some way to justify whatever he did.

"If we ignore the trafficking and prostitution and statutory rape, he did nothing wrong". Well, yes, but he did those things. That's what the thread's about.

[Breccia]

I just don’t care if someone 18+ has sex with a 17 year old.

By the way, you are glossing over the important part.

Gaetz did care.

He intentionally hid this activity. If he thought it was the right thing to do, he would have just, you know, had sex with her in Florida. And arguably, not paid her. Or, he could have said "Man, I'd love to have sex with that child. But it's illegal, so I won't". Can you imagine how this would have played out if he had been honest about it in the first place? Or, you know, not had sex with a child?

You have publicly admitted you don't think it's a problem. Gaetz, by concealing his actions, has publicly admitted Gaetz thinks it's a problem.

Gaetz knew what he did was wrong. And he did it anyhow. Knowing right from wrong is a pretty big step when it comes to criminal convictions.