I guess I am a pedophile

[CBGLuthier]

Got your attention? Good!!

People for the love of whatever. Being sexually attracted to a 16 year old is not pedophilia.

You just make DU look stupid when you post this shit.

One more time, for the terminally slow, pedophilia is a sexual attaraction to the sexually immature.

16 year olds, for the most part, while they are immature, they are not sexually immature.

Yes, foley was wrong and his behavior was inappropriate and illegal in this country.

But when I was 15 I had sex with 15 and 16 year olds. Am I a pedophile?

My mother was 15 when she married my 19 year old father, was HE a pedophile?

Sorry for the rant but willful ignorance just plain pisses me off.
So lets condemn the guy accurately if we can, please.

This may just be my last post as I feel my head shall soon explode. So I will see you all on the other side.

[newsguyatl]

1. agree 10000%

[KyndCulture]

2. sorry, disagree.

As the mother of 2 teens, that's horseshit.

[Warren DeMontague]

42. What's horseshit?

I had sex as a teenager, too. I think most of us did.

[alcibiades_mystery]

45. Your emotional position notwithstanding

The OP is strictly speaking correct. I know I had sex with 15 and 16 year olds when I was 15 and 16, and I'm certainly not a pedophile. There is a difference between illegal contact with a minor and pedophilia. You're just plain wrong, but too wrapped up in your own emotional investments to know it.

[patricia92243]

74. I'm with you!!!

[dsc]

3. It is one thing when you are 19 and quite another when you are 40

which is what is being pointed out here.

[etherealtruth]

15. I think that is what is called ...

A sexual predator:puke:

[karlrschneider]

4. Good luck pissing into the wind there. I agree with you.

...

[CBGLuthier]

27. thank you, I know

I should just let it go but this goes beyond ignorance and into the realm of stupidity.

Oh well, at least I now know I am not on EVERY person's ignore list. :-)

[ShortnFiery]

83. Perhaps most everyone.

Please be aware, despite the age of consent laws. Many psychologists and PARENTS are going to be outraged - if say a 30 y.o. (or older) who seduces their minor child.

Kids having sex is part of the experimentation. None of us parents are thrilled, however, they explore together - there's NO Power imbalance involved as when say, a teacher seduces a student OR a Representative seduces a Page.

I've know lots of little affairs that go on in College settings with students. The professors who are known for that are NOT well respected - in fact, they are the brunt of many jokes. If that's someone's thing, so be it because they are all (mostly) over the age of "informed consent."

People who have this "free love" kind of thought process (they're old enough to bed so what the heck attitude) best check into their State's Statutory Rape laws as well as "check out" the Parents of the child. If an adult seduced one of my underage children, I would go ballistic. Many would. And for that please be advised. Not a threat - a fact. :grr:

[nini]

5. There's a difference between real relationships

and illicit sex with minors too.

Learn the difference.

[karlrschneider]

7. Do you have any evidence he had "elecit" sex with a minor?

The word is "illicit", by the way.

[nini]

11. I just fixed that.. I knew it didn't look right

as far as evidence - I was speaking in general terms regarding attractions to minors etc.

[karlrschneider]

59. Wasn't meaning to be snarky but what exactly is a "minor"?

I mean in the real world, never mind it means many different things from culture to culture and even from state to state. It even changes from time to time...20 years ago, 18 year olds were able to
buy beer but not vote...now they can vote but not buy beer. We allow 'minors' to drive autos and trucks in every state and the right to enter into contracts varies widely across the country. I have known
several 16 year old fathers...nobody ever tried to take their children away that I'm aware of.

Does anyone with an IQ over room temperature in 2006 think there are any 16 year olds who aren't
(too?) familiar with the spectrum of sexuality that exists? And nobody has yet provided a rational
explanation of why this kid who had lived and worked in Washington DC continued the conversation with
a guy he thought was "sick sick sick...."

Talking dirty to a 16 year old may be a lot of disgusting things but it is NOT pedophilia.

[KyndCulture]

8. Amen!!!

My kids can't figure out what to wear or do their homework..

they sure ain't mature enough for a relationship with a 52 yr old married man.

[Warren DeMontague]

43. 16 & 16 is normal. 50 & 16 is not. nt

[mhatrw]

6. A 52-year-old Representative hitting on a 16-year-old page is wrong.

Call it what you wish. I don't mind.

[newsguyatl]

19. u're missing his point.

[CBGLuthier]

33. No that is a bad attitude

Call it what it is, not what it is NOT.

It is wrong. It is inappropriate. It is even illegal. But it is not pedophilia.

this, "a word means what i want it to shit" has to stop.

[Schema Thing]

52. amen to:

"this, "a word means what i want it to shit" has to stop."


amen 1000x

I think it bugs me so much because I was raised in a fundy cult, where the word "truth" was forceably sodomized into meaning "whatever the organization says".

[alcibiades_mystery]

51. Of course it is wrong...it just happens not to be pedophilia

I think the OP's position is clear.

[KyndCulture]

63. No a better legal term is...

1st degree sexual abuse... still a felony, still worth 20 yrs... look it up.

that's adult to adult.

[alcibiades_mystery]

69. Who disputed that it was a felony

It's a criminal act, to be sure. It's just not pedophilia.

[Mojambo]

9. I agree with you

But for trying to inflict massive political damage, I can see why some people are using the term extra loosely.

[derby378]

10. I think you misunderstand the term somewhat

There are a lot of teenage girls from 16 to 18 years of age that I would honestly find desirable. But I can say the same about several women who are 20 years my senior.

If you're a pedophile, you are only attracted to immature girls. I find beauty in a lot of women. But even if I weren't married, I would know better than to pursue a relationship with a 16-year-old. What could she honestly see in an old fart like me?

[Monkeyman]

12. Sorry you are wrong

If anyone went after my son at 16 they would be a pedophile and thats the law in most states. You must be 18

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ShortnFiery]

97. Check out society's mores ... become a parent ...

but by all means, consider that it is just WRONG to take advantage of children who have not matured emotionally.

Looking back, I don't think many of us have our "acts together" before the age of 25 y.o. at the earliest.

But I can NOT have any empathy for a man or a woman who can't keep their hormones in check to NOT seduce someone under the age of 18 y.o.

Society will NOT forgive you no matter how NATURAL it is in The Jungle to jump someone underage. It's just wrong when there's plenty of potential SEX partners 18 and above.

Finally, often times the act of seducing a minor becomes an obsession all onto itself. Now that is when we cross over into the Sexual Predator category. :(

[uppityperson]

41. most states law says age of consent for males is 16.

[tavalon]

47. That's the letter of the law

The OP was trying to argue to spirit of the law and the mistake made that anyone under 18 is a child. It isn't a black and white issue. I was 15 when I lost my virginity to my 16 year old boyfriend and that was illegal based on the letter of the law but it was just normal adolescent behavior by the spirit. Now, I don't agree with the OP either because when one of the people involved in older than mid twenties, it does start to look like an abnormal fetish for the young. In Foley's case, the young boys.

[Warren DeMontague]

48. Hah? You mean if your 16 year old son had sex with another 16 year old?

I hate to break it to you, but statistically, it's pretty likely that it's already happened or will soon.

[gatorboy]

13. The IM messages weren't with the same 16 year old.

I don't think they know for sure how young he was. And let's not forget that these are only the situations we've heard of. Who knows what else went on.

[MADem]

14. Ok, let's be PRECISE, then--he's an ephebophiliac, or hebephiliac

And what he did was AGAINST THE LAW. No mitigating here. This is NOT a nineteen year old Congressman in the throes of young love with a kid three years his junior, this is a sleazy predator in his FIFTIES chasing after children.

There's a difference.

http://www.answers.com/topic/ephebophilia

[BrightBlueDot]

21. Right. A jerk and a criminal, but not a pedophile.

You clearly understand. :thumbsup:

As someone whose innocence was stolen by a TRUE pedophile when I was SEVEN, I appreciate people using these terms properly. To do otherwise minimizes what happened to me and others like me.

[BrightBlueDot]

16. Here's a conundrum.

I'm 28 and have had a crush on Prince William since I was 17 and he was 13. Was I a pedophile then? Was I a pedophile when I was 18 and he was 14? Did I stop being a pedophile at midnight on his 18th birthday?

[sandnsea]

34. That's normal sexual attraction

Do you have crushes on 13 year olds now?

[BrightBlueDot]

40. What makes it normal?

Suppose I were to answer yes. At what point is the magic cutoff? If I did at 18, was I a pedophile? At 20? At 22? At 23 and 3/4? What if I did at 23 but I had a developmental disorder that made me function on the cognitive level of 18? See how silly all this gets?

The correct diagnosis is hebephile, NOT pedophile. A pedophile is someone attracted to prepubescent children. Hebephiles acting on their attraction is disgusting and criminal, but it's not pedophilia.

[Schema Thing]

61. If 50% + of men would look at a nude photograph of a person, with the

face edited out and no other clues to age, and get aroused, it's "normal".


See, easy peasy Kinsey-neezy.

[sandnsea]

104. Do you or don't you?

Are you, at 28 years old, getting crushes on 13 year olds?

Look, you either get it or you don't. I can't tell you what to do with your life, but if you really don't get it - well... an evaluation may be in order.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

18. Maybe we need a new term for it

Sixteen year olds might be sexually active nowadays. I think everyone is sexually aware from a very early age (I know I was). Young kids might experiment with each other from a very early age. But there's something really sick about a 50 year old man hitting on a minor even if that minor is sexually active or no longer completely sexually immature. Maybe that sixteen year old is not a child anymore and it's not pedophilia, but we then need another term for it because it's taboo as far as I'm concerned.

[KyndCulture]

It's called....

1st Degree Felony Sexual Abuse in most states... 20 yr sentence.


That's adult to adult.

[CBGLuthier]

46. You still dont;t quite get it

pedophiles do not like sex with people who have entered puberty.

There actually is a word for those who are fixated on teens, but I will be damned if I will google for that again. :-)

Think of it this way, have you ever seen someone of the sex you are attracted to and thought they were hot but then realized they might be underage?

That's OK, it happens and if you are a decent person you move on.

Now, have you ever seen a 7 year old and thought about sex? Of course not. Because you are not a pedophile.

[sandnsea]

20. Bullshit

No emotionally stable adult would engage in sexual conversations with a 16 year old. It's sick. No two ways about it.

This is exactly the same as the priest scandal, many of those boys were teen-agers too.

You do not lure teen-agers into sexual situations they they do not have the experience or power to control.

It's dead wrong on every level and that is why it's illegal. Someone who does it in spite of knowing that it's illegal, especially when he WROTE THE DAMNED LAWS, is certifiable - a pedophile.

[BrightBlueDot]

The DSM IV disagrees with you.

I agree with you up until you use the term "pedophile." The DSM says that it means having sex with prepubescent children, not having naughty conversations on IMs with teenagers.

Gotta go with the DSM and the doctors who wrote it on that one.

[petronius]

22. You're wasting your time, but FWIW I agree with you...

There are a lot of things wrong with what Foley did - sexual harassment of a minor being the major problem - but he doesn't fit any realistic definition of a pedophile...

Unfortunately, I think this is another example of a larger trend in our national discourse - the tendency of people to 'call names' without really considering what the words actually mean ('fascist' is an example of an over-used yet under-comprehended insult.)

[LoZoccolo]

23. I think people are discussing this more from a legal standpoint...

...or one of professional ethics than a psychological diagnosis.

[Codeine]

24. Amen.

Every man on this forum has taken a second look at a girl who is under 18, every one of them. That's the age of consent in much of the world; the fact that it's illegal here doesn't make it "pedophilia." Call me when he's hitting on 12-year-olds.

[baldguy]

25. When there's a 4-yr difference it's not pedophilia.

When there's a 40-yr difference it is.

[wakeme2008]

30. Bingo we have a winner

:)

[CBGLuthier]

49. No it is not

Do any of you people own dictionarys or know how to use googles define function?

[karlrschneider]

87. Apparently not. More's the pity.

We (many of us anyway) ridicule and bitch at Freepers for misusing words then we (many of us anyway) do the same goddamn thing. We accuse them of hypocrisy (hipocrasy, hypocracy, hipocrisy, etc.) and fail
to notice the irony.
:grr:

[nini]

55. very true

someone 16 is sexually immature to a 40 year old.

Sexual maturity is not just the body but includes emotional maturity also.

[alcibiades_mystery]

62. Pedophilia has a very specific definition

It is a psychological term, a medical term. Now, attempting to enforce the medical definition does not mean that the OP agrees with the behavior of a 40 year old hitting on a 15 year old. But it is silly and ignorant to throw terms around when you are not using them correctly. If you think calling a 40 year old who hits on a 15 year old a pedophile is correct, then you should check the definition in the DSM. If you don't care about the definition in the DSM, and you just want it to mean what you want it to mean, then that's just idiosyncratic and incorrect, but there's no disputing people wqho want to say the sky is green because that's just the way they feel. Such people are usually just ignored.

[Emit]

86. The Definition in the DSM IV - TR (Revised) is actually fairly vague

when it comes to ages -- using words like "generally age 13 years or younger" and "Those attracted to females usually prefer 8- to 10-year-olds, whereas those attracted to males usually prefer slightly older children."

302.2 Pedophilia
The paraphilic focus of Pedophilia involves sexual activity with a prepubescent child (generally age 13 years or younger).

The individual with Pedophilia must be age 16 years or older and at least 5 years older than the child. For individuals in late adolescence with Pedophilia, no precise age difference is specified, and clinical judgment must be used; both the sexual maturity of the child and the age difference must be taken into account.

Individuals with Pedophilia generally report an attraction to children of a particular age range. Some individuals prefer males, others females, and some are aroused by both males and females. Those attracted to females usually prefer 8- to 10-year-olds, whereas those attracted to males usually prefer slightly older children. Pedophilia involving female victims is reported more often than Pedophilia involving male victims.

Some individuals with Pedophilia are sexually attracted only to children (Exclusive Type), whereas others are sometimes attracted to adults (Nonexclusive Type.

Individuals with Pedophilia who act on their urges with children may limit their activity to undressing the child and looking, exposing themselves, masturbating in the presence of the child, or gentle touching and fondling of the child.

Others, however, perform fellatio or cunnilingus on the child or penetrate the child's vagina, mouth, or anus with their fingers, foreign objects, or penis and use varying degrees of force to do so.

These activities are commonly explained with excuses or rationalizations that they have "educational value" for the child, that the child derives "sexual pleasure" from them, or that the child was "sexually provocative" – themes that are also common in pedophilic pornography.

Because of the ego-syntonic nature of Pedophilia, many individuals with pedophilic fantasies, urges or behaviors do not experience significant distress. It is important to understand that experiencing distress about having the fantasies, urges or behaviors is not necessary for a diagnosis of Pedophilia. Individuals who have a pedophilic arousal pattern and act on these fantasies or urges with a child qualify for the diagnosis of Pedophilia.

Individuals may limit their activities to their own children, stepchildren, or relatives or may victimize children from outside their families. Some individuals with Pedophilia threaten the child to prevent disclosure. Others, particularly those who frequently victimize children, develop complicated techniques for obtaining access to children, which may include winning the trust of a child's mother, marrying a woman with an attractive child, trading children with other individuals with Pedophilia, or, in rare instances, taking in foster children from nonindustrialized countries or abducting children from strangers.

Except in cases in which the disorder is associated with Sexual Sadism, the person may be attentive to the child's needs in order to gain the child's affection, interest and loyalty and to prevent the child from reporting the sexual activity.

The disorder usually begins in adolescence, although some individuals with Pedophilia report that they did not become aroused by children until middle age. The frequency of pedophilic behavior often fluctuates with psychosocial stress. The course is usually chronic, especially in those attracted to males. The recidivism rate for individuals with Pedophilia involving a preference for males is roughly twice that for those who prefer females.

Diagnostic criteria for 302.2 Pedophilia
Over a period of at least six months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger).
The person has acted on these sexual urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies caused marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.
The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in Criterion A.

Note: Do not include an individual in late adolescence involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with a 12- or 13-year-old.

Specify if:

Sexually Attracted to Males
Sexually Attracted to Females
Sexually Attracted to Both

Specify if:

Limited to Incest
Specify type:
Exclusive Type (attracted only to children)
Nonexclusive Type

http://www.tegenwicht.org/40_kleine_seksuologie/dsm.htm






Personally, I think the OPer sounds like a spokesperson for NAMBLA.

[anarch]

71. so is that the official taboo age difference threshold?

Just for my information, so I don't hit on any 50 year-olds if I happen to make it to age 90...this might be confusing for the older people.

Conversely, I'd have to say the four year difference at the bottom of the scale there can be misleading to our youth, inasmuch as I would probably disapprove of a ten year old having a relationship with a fourteen year old. Unless we've already established some universal age that it's OK for kids to have intimate contact with their peers, so this sort of thing would never even come into question.

God, this is all so confusing, these numbers. I think I'll just go back to my gut feelings on this, and say that it just feels wrong for a supposedly socially mature and much older adult to try to have sex a teen, or for anyone to try to have sex with a child.

[wakeme2008]

26. Sorry wrong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophile

In contrast to the generally accepted medical definition, the term pedophile is also used colloquially to denote significantly older adults who are sexually attracted to adolescents below the local age of consent<1>, as well as those who have sexually abused a child.

..cut..

Strictly speaking, this definition would include many adolescents and prepubescents, for whom such an interest might be normal; thus, some experts add the criterion that the interest be toward children at least five years younger than the subject. However, according to some experts, a diagnosis of pedophilia can also be appropriate for a post-pubescent adolescent.<4> See entry for sexologist Dr. John Money.

......more at link....

I think a 50 something trolling for 16 yo fit the bill.

[BrightBlueDot]

31. Wikipedia is a poor source.

I could go edit that right now. Maybe I will. Then will you suddenly change your opinion?

[wakeme2008]

39. You can not edit the 40 or so differences in ages

:grr:

[CBGLuthier]

54. colloquial

means nothing. Scientific definitions please.

[NNN0LHI]

28. Try telling that to someone as you are hitting on their 16 year-old son

And keep in mind you are fifty-something.

Be ready for trouble.

Don

[KyndCulture]

35. This mother of 2 teens would see that person...

stripped of his balls and his career will be the fucking LAST thing on his mind if he said any of that to my kids.

[karlrschneider]

96. Would your kids continue the conversation and describe their

masturbation methods?

[blogslut]

29. The point is, it appears it was a pattern.

Foley didn't just fall for one page. He used his power and office to troll for underage males. In turn he was entrusted with heading a task force intended to protect the underaged from adult predators.

[Tatiana]

32. It looks like Foley preyed upon MULTIPLE pages.

I think some DUers suspect that the label pedophile is only being applied because the sexual advances happened between two people of the same sex. That is NOT THE CASE! If this were a 50-something year old woman preying upon 16-year old male pages, I'd feel the same damn way. Perhaps with one or more young men, Foley's actions were consentual. However, obviously some of these victims (and yes, I think they are victims) didn't like Foley's advances and complained to Republican congressional staffers they worked for in addition to leaking this information to the news media.

The fact that Foley resigned SO QUICKLY indicates there is much more dirt to be found. Foley should have found an ADULT partner to play with and left the kids alone. He's nothing but a hyprocritical pervert.

[Swede]

36. It's Foley's hypocrisy that galls a lot of folks.

Plus he abused his position of power.

[ourbluenation]

37. If a 54 yr old man comes sniffing around my daugher, call him whatever

you want but it aint right.

[Schema Thing]

38. Agreed. I'd hoped dems had higher IQ's and more respect for accuracy

than freepers.

My ex/gf got pregnant, purposely, at 14. It was ill-advised, stupid and rash even, but it worked out. Not ideal, but she has a wonderful adult son and they have a great relationship. The person she got pregnant with was an idiot (18 y/o, I believe, but maybe even a bit older), but he was not a pedophile, nor would society (and this happened to be in a foreign country, France) be served by him being criminalized.

But I'm still gloating, and Foley still deserves everything coming to him politically, and legally, he'll have to take his lumps to.

[Fridays Child]

44. I've never met a single sexually mature 16-year old in my life.

Sexual maturity is about much more than anatomy. It's one thing a physically sexually mature individual to be attracted to another physically sexually mature individual. But for an adult to act on those impulses, when the subject of that attraction is a minor, is predatory and it constitutes pedophilia.

[CBGLuthier]

64. But not for the purposes of this discussion

Semantic word play aside. The term sexually mature refers to the ability to either get pregnant or cause such a condition. it refers to those who have well entered puberty.

I cna agree with the spirit of your statement but the scientific accuaracy is lacking.

[zonkers]

50. Is corruption of a minor a more appropriate term for the offense?

[longship]

53. You are oh so wrong on this.

As a high school teacher I was required to sign an affidavit that I understood the laws concerning child abuse and child predators. The provisions of this law make it a felony for anybody in a position of authority over children under the age of 18 to participate in any activity proscribed in the law. This includes precisely the kind of stalking that Mark Foley was doing.

Furthermore, the law goes much further on this. It is also a crime for teachers to ignore any suspicions that such activity has occurred. All such persons of authority are termed "mandated reporters". It is *ILLEGAL* to *not* report your suspicions. We had a legal *obligation* to report any and all suspicions to law enforcement.

Now you can spin this thing any way you want. But saying it was not a crime is just not true. It is not only a crime, but it is a serious federal crime which is going to put Mark Foley in the federal sex offender data base.

Furthermore, there is a good chance that Hastert, and anybody else who did not report Foley's activities may come under investigation for violation of the provisions of the federal law which mandates that such activities must be referred to the proper authorities.

This is a very serious matter.

A 15 year old having sex with another 15 year old is not at all the same thing as a 52 year old predating on a 16 year old. What were you thinking when you posted your post?

[KyndCulture]

58. THANK YOU!

I am not a teach, but I am a mother, and my 18 yr old son can't decide what to eat or wear, he sure isn't gonna decide who to have a relationship with, with sanity.
(he's still in high school like this page)

WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE THINKING.

[alcibiades_mystery]

66. Do you even know how to read

I kinda doubt it.

[rug]

91. Are you saying your 18 year old son is not competent to decide to have sex

[CBGLuthier]

60. As a teacher I would hope you could read

Where the hell did I say it was not a crime?

What I said, one more time, was it is not pedophilia.

Not pedophilia.

Got it teach?

Yes, it is very much a crime. But it is not, one more, more time, pedophilia.

[longship]

81. I read your post.

You say Foley's actions are not pedophilia, but you are just mincing words. You are also wrong.

The characterization of what is a pedophile is this:

From Wikipedia:

* the sexual interest is toward children, either prepubescent or at the beginning of puberty
* the sexual interest is the primary one, that is, exclusively or mainly toward children
* the sexual interest remains over time

Strictly speaking, this definition would include many adolescents and prepubescents, for whom such an interest might be normal; thus, some experts add the criterion that the interest be toward children at least five years younger than the subject. However, according to some experts, a diagnosis of pedophilia can also be appropriate for a post-pubescent adolescent.

[alcibiades_mystery]

65. Nobody said it wasn't a crime?

You were a teacher? With those reading skills?

The point is that it does not meet the scientific definition of pedophilia. It's obviously a crime, but that's a different matter altogether.

[karlrschneider]

102. I hope you aren't an English teacher:

"

As a high school teacher I was required to sign an affidavit that I understood the laws concerning child abuse and child predators. The provisions of this law make it a felony for anybody in a position of authority over children under the age of 18 to participate in any activity proscribed in the law. This includes precisely the kind of stalking that Mark Foley was doing."
==============================================================================================

Activities proscribed "in the law" apply to everyone, not just those with authority over children.

[niyad]

56. please see the dictionary definitions below

6 results for: pedophilia
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | the Web

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) - Cite This Source
pe‧do‧phil‧i‧a  /ˌpidəˈfɪliə/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun Psychiatry. SEXUAL DESIRE IN AN *****ADULT***** FOR A ****CHILD**** (by definition, an person UNDER the age of 18*


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source ped·o·phil·i·a (pd-fl-, pd-) Pronunciation Key
n.
The act or fantasy on the part of an adult of engaging in sexual activity with a child or children.

pedo·phili·ac (-k) adj. & n.

(Download Now or Buy the Book) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source
ped·o·phil·i·a (pd-fl-, pd-)
n.

The act or fantasy on the part of an adult of engaging in sexual activity with a child or children.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pedo·phile (-fl) n.
pedo·phili·ac (-fl-k) adj. & n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source
Main Entry: pe·do·phil·ia
Pronunciation: "pEd-&-'fil-E-&, "ped-
Variant: or chiefly British pae·do·phil·ia /"pEd-/
Function: noun
: sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
WordNet - Cite This Source
pedophilia

n : sexual activity of an adult with a child

WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University

[ourbluenation]

57. I'm not sure this thread is helpful, really. n/t

[CBGLuthier]

67. Oh I am sorry

I guess DU would rather wallow in ignorance than have a fact pointed out.

I used to think most people here were smart and educated.

Lately, I am not so sure.

But thanks to those above who do understand the point.

[karlrschneider]

106. Don't feel bad, I got a thread locked last night because I suggested

Foley should be afforded a trial before his virtual conviction. I guess Bush's agenda has permeated DU as well as the rest of the country.

[KyndCulture]

68. Get the legal term correct here people... he's not scott free.

he is not a "pedophile" if the state says the kid was of the age of consent. And that's in dispute between FL and DC.

That means jack shit...

he is still VERY OBVIOUSLY guilty of 1st degree sexual abuse without ever laying a finger on that boy.... that crime is a felony in all 50 states that carries a penalty of 10-20 yrs. Call him a "pre-rapist". That's a better term.

Same fucking sicko.

[karlrschneider]

107. Can you produce a link to those alleged laws? Thanks.

...

[Marie26]

70. Not the point

There is a huge difference between two teenagers having sex, and a creepy 55-year-old man who tries to convince minors to do something they're not ready to do. The fact that he was in a position of authority & power makes it even worse - there's a real risk of coercion or intimidation. Foley apparantly sent these creepy emails to many pages, over a long period of time. The Republicans knew enough to warn pages away from him (while not apparantly stopping him). This man was a sexual predator. That has zero to do w/teenagers' relationships, or two teenagers getting married, and I have no idea why people would try to compare the two.

[Tatiana]

73. Exactly! WHY couldn't Foley find a GROWN MAN to push his sexual advances

on? Why did he have to prey upon kids?

[Marie26]

98. Right

That's why I characterize him as a sexual predator. He specifically targeted pages - who were the most vulnerable, the most inexperienced, & the most easily manipulated. And, he tried to obtain positions where he would have more chances to see minors - like heading the caucus for exploited children. The email excerpts on ABC News are beyond disturbing. He was not entering into a consensual relationship, but manipulating, coercing & attempting to lead these kids into a sexual situation. This wasn't a "relationship," but exploitation. I wouldn't be surprised if they find out he did even more than this. Foley is one sick man, and the Republicans should never have allowed him to continue in office once they knew what had happened.

[CBGLuthier]

79. Not the point?

Accuracy is not the point?

The truth is not the point?

What the hell are we all whining about with Bush et al then?

It may be my undoing in life but accuracy and the truth are important to me.

[Marie26]

109. What a crusade.

Why do you care so much? What annoys me is that whenever one of these kinds of stories break, the apologists come out of the woodwork. Even after the story broke about the 14-year-old girl who was raped by US soldiers, some people seemed the most outraged about the fact that the soldiers were called pedophiles. But the age of consent is different in Iraq!, they'd insist. The age of consent is different in DC! So I guess Foley is a pedophile in Florida, but not in DC? Baloney. Then they'll say that it isn't pedophilia if the minor is "sexually mature." And when is a teenager considered "mature", anyway? It varies totally from individual to individual. There's a reason these laws exist, and that reason is thaat minors, in general, are not mature enough to enter a relationship w/a much older adult. And minors can be exploited by creeps like Foley.

I can't believe that someone's trying to argue that the fact that teenagers have relationships, or get married, means that what Foley did is OK. Can't you see the difference? I've explained the difference. The point is not the shifting definitions people will offer, but Foley's own behavior. He didn't go out w/men his own age, or even men who were above 18, he specifically targeted high school students. He sent multiple emails out to multiaple pages - showing a systemic pattern of behavior. He was trying to use his power & authority to target minors exclusively. That is exploitative & predatory behavior. Yes, I believe he is a pedophile.

[MoseyWalker]

90. Can someone please

superimpose, foley's face on the crazy thailand dude's body? You know, the one who admitted to killing the little girl, except he didn't?

What is with this sex shit every time an election rolls around. Gay sex. Gay marriage. Pedophilia. Necromancy.

What the hell?

Appeal to the unwashed with sex stories?

what the fuck? Are the xtian fundies supposed to rally around the gop because they sacrificed one of their own? again?

[ShortnFiery]

72. No you embarrass many of us with IMO, this outdated and ill informed bunk.

This is the 21st Century. In this day and age where 50% of basically solid marriages do not work, it is "Sexual Predation" to seek out people who are under the age of 18 y.o. FOR SEX ONLY! :grr:

Such behavior, "Sex with those under the age of 18 y.o." isn't for MARRIAGE but "a predatory obsession" of many adults.

Since the good old, bad old days, there has been extensive psychological - social science research that investigates the emotional maturity of those under 18 y.o. NO! It's not just an arbitrary number for it is about the age of 18 that people are able to make what Psychologists term "Informed Consent."

Hey, I fully agree with my kids that 18 y.o. should make it legal for everything that is ADULT.

No, especially when you are considering an Adult who repetitively seeks out underage males or females for Explicit Sexual talk and/or seduction, we are talking CRIMINAL and in the nature of what defines a *Sexual Predator.*

I can't speak for other parents, but I would not want people in positions of power over them to "take advantage of their innocence" (seduce them) AT ALL. Damn the age of consent to a parent because it is a Power Trip for the Sexual Predator.

Please NOTE that almost all Sexual Predators tell their victims words to the effect, "You are so much more mature than all the other teen agers that I have met." :puke: If the foregoing is not immoral seduction, I don't know what is. :grr:

[CBGLuthier]

92. BUNK?

So scientific definitions are now bunk?

And you people make fun of the fundamentalists for what they believe.

Too fucking funny for words.

BTW, I notice you did not call him a pedophile.

At no time did I defend this man or say he not a criminal but Oh well, I am just full of BUNK.

[ShortnFiery]

101. He's an obsessed Sexual Predator - the IMs are from 2003 & 2005

You have to ask yourself, how many underage male pages did this obsessed sexual predator seduce over say, the past 10 years? :scared: :puke:

BTW, BUNK is from George Orwell's Novel 1984.

You have not provided any valid Psychological data to support your claims that it's A OK to seduce a minor. Only Biological. That's cool if you wish to live in the 1800s but not OK for adults to promote in the 21st Century. :eyes:

[Kurovski]

75. Okay then, how about we say "jailbait"?

It's still exploitation.

Some girls reach their menses at 11, are they okay to badger for sex when you're 52 years old?

Boys start growing pubes and producing sperm at 13.

Come off it. You know the difference. It's exploitation, and most folks will ignore "exploitation", but will prick up their ears when they hear "pedophilia"

Stupid or not, the ball has been handed to us and we better damn well run with it.

It's a stupid world, so be it.

[Subdivisions]

76. We're arguing for nothing...

Obviously with the speed at which Feely resigned tells me that, whether or not we consider him seducing a 16 year old boy "pedophilia" or not (I do), there must be something more to the story.

This went from a leak to a resignation in record time. Feely was forced to resign in an attempt to squash the matter as fast as possible. Their intent was to say that it was an internal matter and it has been dealt with with the resignation. That is until our Madame Pelosi got ahold of them last night.

I think this is going to turn out to be a major scandal and don't be surprised at how many Repukelicans have made secret trips to the Mariannas in the past few years.

[MADem]

82. Not Repukelicans....RAMBLACANS....

The Republican American Man Boy Love Association... :rofl:

I wouldn't be surprised if your thesis ends up being correct.

[mockmonkey]

77. Apparently many states and parents condone

pedophilia if you go by what many are saying here on D.U. and the legal age to marry with consent.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/Table_Marriage.htm

Foley is a scumbag. Why argue over a word? None of the sources I looked at seem to agree on the definition.

I understand what you are saying but you'll never get anywhere here with this hot button topic.

I wonder what people think of me here, my S.O. is 23 years younger than me. Of course unlike Foley I never went shopping for boys on-line or anywhere else.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

78. I'd say to anyone who's over 25 and HAS to be with people under 18....

You need to get some therapy becasue it is NOT mentally healthy. AND if you cannot stop yourself from doing something that could potentially ruin your life and is against the law - you have an impulse or addiction problem.

[Junkdrawer]

80. When I was 8 I had sex with an 8 yr. old, so it's OK now I'm 53, right?

:shrug:

[CBGLuthier]

88. now that is just stupid

Do u feel better for saying that?

If you do not know the difference between a 15 year old and an 8 year old then you might just have a problem.

[Junkdrawer]

95. Just using your argument...

"But when I was 15 I had sex with 15 and 16 year olds. Am I a pedophile?"

Look, this is Priest molesting alter boys stuff. No one had any problem calling the priest pedophiles.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

84. I first had sex when I was 13

-not bragging, just stating facts.

Someone out there is in big trouble-- oh, wait a sec. She was only 14 at the time...

Oops.... :shrug:

[CBGLuthier]

85. Fine Fuck IT I give up

Obviously I live in the world of the stupid people and a word SHALL mean what all OF you say it MUST mean.

I just really thought it made DU look stupid. But I guess that isn't important.

Forgive me for ever giving a shit about anything and goodnight and goodbye to all.

[boston bean]

89. Some of you people are making me sick... good night!

[WinkyDink]

93. Read the law. It supercedes psychology, anatomy, and teen love.

[CBGLuthier]

94. Yeah but even the law

Does not call it pedophilia.

Speaking of reading, did you notice I said what he did was against the law or does that hurt your argument?

[ShortnFiery]

103. It doesn't supersede the authority of The Parents and The Society!

A person who justs eeks by seducing a minor of 16 that also happens to be the age of consent, still has to answer to the above.

Don't kid yourself, it's not OK. Many of the Rape laws figure in the power relationship and age differences.

There are several studies how such predatory behavior by adults is an pattern, an obsession. In time they will breech the Age of Consent law by bedding a 15 y.o.

:wtf: is the matter with these, especially older Adults (30 y.o. +) ? There are so many OTHER ADULTS out there to have SEX with that you should NOT have to allow yourself to be tempted by a minor. Have some respect for his/her parents who, you know, would be less than thrilled OR for society OR how about for the minor him/her self?!?

No, I don't support those who obsess on seducing minors. - It's heterosexaual & criminal.

ON Edit: Please excuse me WinkyDink :blush:, I meant to address this to notmypresident.

[niyad]

99. as a matter of curiousity,what was your reaction to the teacher

who, apparently, got off after having sex with a teenage student?

[deadparrot]

100. A 52 year old Congressman is coming on to a sixteen year old?

Actively soliciting/harrassing him?

You bet it's pedophilia. I hope they lock the fucker up and throw away the key.

[ismnotwasm]

105. And the purpose of this is?

I know you're not defending an old fart hypocrite in a position of authority grossing out and making sexual innuendos and possibly advances--- by reading the text maybe farther than that--illegally to a teenager. Not that I can anything about a person by the internet.

I knew many young men who made their living off of said old farts in my youth and my understanding is the streets have gotten deadlier since my time. I can tell you some fucked up stories. I know AIDS wiped out most of the troubled young men I knew from the 70's and 80's. I don't know how things are done in the upper middle class. My observations haven't noticed any particular improvement when sex is predatory no matter what the socio-economic status is.
How do we know that 16 is the not UPPER end-- age wise of Foley's sexual proclivities?
Not your point, I understand.



I agree there is a difference between a sexual predator, a disgusting immature goat fucker like foley (who may actually BE a pedophile, we don't know) and a pedophile however. Pedophiles are exclusively attracted to children. What a "child" is, well that seems to vary by law, state, country. 13 seems to be the cut off point in the US. I've raised four children. I can tell you there were a couple of them very immature at 16, certainly not ready to be a sexual outlet for an much older person. They wouldn't have understood, and would have been very damaged from it, as much as say, a 12 year old. Or a 10 year old even.

As far as sexual attraction, I know it's not always what society considers age-appropriate. Sex is a powerful, powerful force our society has twisted into something unrecognizable at times.
An interesting site:
http://www.atsa.com/ppPedophiles.html

[MichaelHarris]

108. In my dictionary

it's called "fucked up and creepy".

[Moderator]

110. Locking.

This is flamebait.