I am sure that you have heard about the outcry by many within the LGBT community concerning Florida teen Kaitlyn Hunt. Kaitlyn is a lesbian who began a relationship with a 14-year-old female high school classmate. It has been reported that the relationship began when Kaitlyn was 17.
Last month, the 14-year-old girl’s parents went to the police and Kaitlyn was charged with statutory rape. In Florida, the age of consent is 18 years old. That means there can be no sexual contact between someone under the age of 18 and anyone. Yes, that means that a 16-year-old junior in high school cannot kiss his freshman date at junior prom. That’s the law.
Since most statutory rapes cases are driven by the family of the victim, a 16-year-old being pursued for kissing his 14-year-old date to the prom is highly unlikely. When the rape charges against Kaitlyn were filed, Kaitlyn was 18 and her “girlfriend” was still 14.
When it was discovered that the relationship was a lesbian one, many in our community jumped to the conclusion that the prosecution was due to homophobia. I don’t think any parent would want their 14-year-old to have a sexual relationship with an 18-year old, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. If it were your child, would you?
Some states have passed “Romeo and Juliet” exceptions. Romeo and Juliet statutes recognize the likelihood that youth in the same educational and social settings may engage in consensual sexual experimentation and that harsh, adult criminal charges are not the way to deal with this behavior. Florida is not one of those states.
Kaitlyn was offered a plea deal where she would have been under house arrest for two years, followed by a year of probation, but she would be convicted of a child abuse felony charge. Since Kaitlyn rejected the plea deal, she now faces up to 15 years in prison for each of the two charges of “lewd and lascivious” behavior that she faces. If she loses at trial, Kaitlyn will go to jail and also be forced to register as a sex offender.
I think Kaitlyn is getting bad advice on all sides. Even if the new law, that a Florida state senator has introduced to prevent these types of situations in the future, passes it will probably be too late for Kaitlyn. If the jury acquits her, there will be countless other families who will cry foul because their son or daughter took a plea deal, or worse, ended up serving a prison term. What makes Kaitlyn so special? Is it because she is a photogenic cheerleader and also a lesbian?
There are many young males in this country serving prison terms for exactly what Kaitlyn allegedly has done. Will their convictions be reversed if Kaitlyn gets off? No. That’s what concerns me so much. Do we really want to send the message that we only care when it is someone from our community?
Where was the outrage in our community when this situation has happened all across this country for years?
I guess it only matters if it is one of our own. If that is the case, we have an even longer road ahead of us to build a national community than I thought.
STAMPP CORBIN
Kaitlyn is getting bad advice because she ignored good advice and refused to stop seeing the girl by the girl’s parents, Keep in mind anybody under the age of 18 years of age unless they are emancipated by a judge are the responsibility of their parents until the age of majority is reached. You and countless others are failing to see is, the parents have that responsibility. I find it almost laughable that anybody justify what Kaitlyn did, she was told to stop and refused.
How many ways can you say stupid before it sinks in Kaitlyn brought this on herself and now is going to pay just like every other adult who thinks with their genitals and goes after the young stuff.
Anne
If two warnings from your victim’s parents, a school suspension, the threat of arrest and the possibility of lifetime registration as a sex offender (never mind her social media acknowledgement that she knew what she was doing was wrong) is not sufficient deterrent for you to not put your fingers and vibrators inside a 14 year old runaway child, then indeed, you truly are a sex offender.
The victim’s parents are mandatory reporters under Florida Law, once another parent brought this to their attention they had a choice, report the sexual abuse or go to jail for enabling the sexual abuse. The school is a mandatory reporter, and so are the offender’s parents. You can be rest-assured if Kaitlyn is convicted, her parents and the school official who knew of the sexual assaults that took place in the school will also face charges.
Kate was not “in a relationship” with the victim. She was using CS’ body as an experimental playground. Kate’s parents stated that CS was Kate’s first lesbian relationship and even they used the term experimenting. Kate used her popularity to groom and seduce and abuse the child. Looking at only the facts of the case and hearing the taped call, Kate displays all the classic characteristics and manipulations of a child molester. She threatened to pull away her “love” and attention if CS refused to keep having sex with her. I think society is lucky that she was caught now, before she went to be a teacher, nurse or worse, a mother.
I find it very odd that some people seem to think that when the Smith’s spoke, it was the truth. And then call them “facts”. ROTFLMAO!!!!
What fact are you disputing?
The fact she was a minor?
The fact that Kaitlyn was an adult when the abuse began?
That it wasn’t abuse?
That it was the Smith’s business what their minor daughter was doing?
Or do you support pedophiles, and don’t want to come out and admit it.
Anne
Kaitlyn dug her own grave… When your 18 years old and messing around with a 14 year old, STOP. When the parents of the 14 year old go after you two times… STOP. When the police/DA have you pinned down with two felony convictions and you refuse a plea bargain… So sad, too bad, she just does not seem to connect the dots fast enough in life. She went way over the line and was given plenty of chances to avoid prison. She dug her own grave.
Thanks for this sensible post. I absolutely believe people are defending her simply because she’s a cute, lesbian hottie instead of an ugly straight guy. The sheriff’s office said they handle 25-30 cases like this a year involving straight adult males. I’d bet most, if not all, of them are plea bargained. Kate Hunt and her family jimmied-up some PR support while lying about the circumstances (e.g. claiming that the girls’ ages were 17 and 15, claiming the victim’s family waited until just after Kate turned 18 — which was in August — before pressing charges, claiming Kate is a “model citizen,” etc.), so they think they’ve won in the court of public opinion and that means they can win in a court of law. The facts are coming to light, however. Kate ignored the warnings of the minor girl’s parents TWICE and exacerbated the situation by apparently helping the girl run away from home and harboring her (and having sex with her during that time). Even if Kate and the girl weren’t having sex, that in and of itself would’ve been a serious crime.
One correction: I’m pretty sure Florida’s age of consent is 16 like most other states.
In this week’s publisher message, Stampp Corbin talks about #KaitlynHunt in “A bridge too far” http://t.co/0v9wE43S56 #LGBT #Gay #Lesbian
In this week’s publisher message, Stampp Corbin talks about #KaitlynHunt in “A bridge too far” http://t.co/Tz0HR0zfgS #LGBT #Gay #Lesbian
First things first the author has made 2 misstatements in this article. 1. Florida does have a Romeo and Juliet law. 2. ms Hunt was 18 before the first made contact at school. I am very Relived and Happy that this publication has take a neutral view. A crime was committed a plea was offered and refused therefore criminal proceedings required. One thing the author is correct on is that she is young and very cute but still a rapists. To Kim Why do you believe that the every thing the hunts have said is true when there is so much proof that they have misrepresented the truth, Why even days after this story broke the local LBGT group withdrew all support of ms Hunt? All in all this was a fair and balanced piece 2 thumbs up!
Florida’s Romeo and Juliet law only applies to children 16 or older and they can have sex with someone 23 years old or younger.
While I’m sure it’s true that there are some young boys in prison, it’s also true that the majority of these cases are given light sentences or probation. The blanket accusation that we are supporting her because she is one of our own is as bigoted as those who wish to condemn her for being a lesbian and I don’t care who said it. I would feel exactly the same if this were an 18 yr old boy with a 14 yr old girl. To assume that as a lesbian I would automatically support her is an insult. I believe an 18 yr old should not have a felony conviction on their record for having consensual sex with someone who is 3 1/2 yrs younger and who is a team mate and classmate. She should have been allowed to plea this down to a misdemeanor just as the majority of these cases that involve teens and first time offenses. She wants to be a nurse. She can’t ever be one with a felony conviction, Do you people really believe her entire future should be at risk for her admittedly poor judgement at 18? The crime is not equal to the punishment. And I don’t care if she’s male/female/gay or straight. And the plea they offered her, a felony second degree child abuse charge is an injustice to actual victims of child abuse. I don’t blame her for not taking it.
Your statement is almost laughable, a minor cannot have consensual sex with an adult, what planet are you on?
Anne
I live on a planet where 14 yr old girls consent to have sex every day. It’s illegal. It’s illegal for a 14 yr old to drive a car too, but when they choose to get behind the wheel they’re still driving. The irony is that if this same 14 yr old girl that so many of you refer to as a child were to kill someone, she’d most likely be tried as an adult in the state of Florida.
Let me get this straight, (if I can use that word here)
You feel that equal treatment under the law should not apply to adults molesting children, am I reading that correctly?
I guess in your world to borrow a phrase from Animal Farm; Some pigs are more equal than other pigs.
Anne
No. You are not reading that correctly. Let me say it again SLOWLY this time. They are both teenagers and it was consensual. This is not a case of an adult molesting a child. This is a case of two teens who go to school together. Most cases like this are pled down to misdemeanors. I believe this case should be handled the way the majority of these cases are handled that involve teens so close in age. And let me repeat, in FL they would try this girl you insist on calling a child as an adult had she committed a violent crime.
She had that chance to cop a plea, she is a big girl and chose the harder of 2 roads.
So she gets what she has asked for.
Anne
Thank heavens for some sanity. I blogged about this a while back and warned what would happen if the gay rights movement tried to defend this:
http://www.skepticink.com/prussian/2013/05/25/the-kaitlyn-hunt-case-may-poison-gay-rights-advocacy-for-decades/
http://www.skepticink.com/prussian/2013/05/28/i-knew-this-would-happen/
I am very glad to see that there are those with the requisite sanity. Well done, Mr Corbin, very well done indeed.
I think it’s easy for anyone to assume they know what’s best for all the parties involved and what should have happened. Sexual relationships between minors occur far more often than I suspect most people realize. I find it impossible to believe that there is a blanket approach to every single one of them that should prevail when one of the parties reaches an age of majority before the other. What I see both in this article and nearly all the comments thus far is a lot of speculation based upon media reports and the community reactions to them. Romeo & Juliet provisions are, i think, a sensible way of responding as a society. The only question I see as pertinent in this particular situation is: are the applicable laws being applied without regard to gender or sexual orientation? That’s a matter best answered by the court system.
The parents of the child this woman was molesting are responsible for the welfare of the child, that is the only law that matters.
The parents told this woman to leave their child alone, she refused.
I hope she spends a long time in jail and is branded as the sex offender she truly is.
Anne
So, I’m curious. Was she ‘molesting’ this ‘child’ when she was a minor herself? Or did it only become molestation when she turned 18 and the younger woman’s parents decided to finally intervene?
Her parents had to intervene, to start with Kaitlyn lied about her age, that was covered in a news report you can find online.
So do you think that just because Kaitlyn is a lesbian she deserves some kind of pass, they offered her a chance to cop a plea, she turned it down.
That was before the child’s parents asked her to stop seeing their daughter.
You know guys have a phrase for this, it’s letting your dick do your thinking.
I think it applies to Kaitlyn.
Anne
She doesn’t deserve a pass because she’s a lesbian. She doesn’t deserve a pass at all. She just doesn’t deserve a felony conviction. If she were a straight male I would say the same thing.