Former Dragons' Den star Doug Richard 'paid a 13-year-old schoolgirl hundreds of pounds for sex'

[estebanrey]

I'm weird for not fancying children? OK mate.

If you're claiming your attraction levels are based purely on the human construct of age which for you just so happens to coincidently fall in line with what society has deemed 'legal' and not any kind of biological process that has driven human desire since we evolved from fish

 

[FoxEye]

Agreed! It's not paedophilia not even close.

Pretty sure some people don't know what the word means. Sex with a minor may or may not also be paedophilia, but in the case of a /1516 year old, almost certainly isn't.

It's also possible for a 13 year old and a 16 year old to be indistinguishable. Still, always best to check the passport and get consent forms signed in triplicate

It doesn't matter anyhow. Enough people here on GD have determined his guilt for a trial to be absolutely unnecessary now

 

[Sega Mega Dave]

He going down.

Thats what got him in this mess in the first place.

 

[doodah]

As a friend pointed out, looks tricky to send him down on the underage charges beyond reasonable doubt (e.g. site if for over 18s, after school could be 6th form).

 

[Amp34]

that doesn't have much to do with the legality of it - famous person paying for sex with someone above 18 is still news for tabloids even when perfectly legal

you could say it is related to the morality of it... but really it is just something that makes the story/gossip a bit saucier

But the point was, acoreing to your definition of "paying for sex" it doesn't look like he actually did. it was certainly used to make the story saucier, it is the daily mail after all, fact and impartial reporting isn't particularly important.

Anyway, enough of that.

 

[Amp34]

I'm weird for not fancying children? OK mate.

Biologically they aren't children though. In modern society they are seen as children but that changes depending on society and current feeling in that society. "Children" have been getting older and older through time even though, ironically, biological maturity has been reducing over time (children are hitting puberty younger now than ever before).

You'll find most factors bred into men over thousands of years for attraction are pretty much at their peak with late teens, because as already said women are at their most fertile there.

That said, finding someone attractive and acting on that attraction are two different things. It is weird that a 50+ year old would meet up with a couple of "16 and 17" year olds in current society and I doubt many on here would disagree.

 

[413x]

Our line in the sand is 16, I think Brazil is much lower. He should have just gone to one of these countries . Would have been much easier

As the the right or wrong
It's one of those tricky things.
Not many years ago it would have not been seen as wrong at all.. Especially if both consenting.

It's just seen as 'wrong' due to our culture and that 16 here has been defined as an age most appropriate to not make everyone a 'nonce' but also to cover the 'of sound mind' criteria
Obviously everyone matures differently

Still, you know the law, so it's not am excuse

Ill wrap this up by qualifying I wouldn't go anywhere near even as low as 16..more that have you seen 16yos than its the law!


Genuine lols on the "I'm in" post on page 1!

 

[FoxEye]

Our line in the sand is 16, I think Brazil is much lower. He should have just gone to one of these countries . Would have been much easier

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but our age of consent laws make it illegal (for a Brit) to go to another country (with lower consenting age) to have sex there.

So regardless, if you're British the minimum age is 16+... worldwide.

Haven't there been prosecutions of Brits who go abroad for these purposes? I'm sure there have.

e: confirmed:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ts-face-UK-prosecution-over-abuse-abroad.html

e2: The US has the same law.

 

[dowie]

But the point was, acoreing to your definition of "paying for sex" it doesn't look like he actually did. it was certainly used to make the story saucier, it is the daily mail after all, fact and impartial reporting isn't particularly important.

Anyway, enough of that.

He quite clearly paid for sex(in the same way as anyone paying for an escort's 'time' has), whether he'd be convicted if paying for sex was illegal is another matter... we don't know for sure and I've answered that twice already. I'll point out again that it isn't illegal and I'm still not sure why you keep banging on about it?

 

[dowie]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but our age of consent laws make it illegal (for a Brit) to go to another country (with lower consenting age) to have sex there.

So regardless, if you're British the minimum age is 16+... worldwide.

Haven't there been prosecutions of Brits who go abroad for these purposes? I'm sure there have.

e: confirmed:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ts-face-UK-prosecution-over-abuse-abroad.html

e2: The US has the same law.

Now that is interesting, maybe something his UK lawyers haven't considered. If he believed they were at least 16 (rather than 18) - could he potentially be in trouble under US law where 18 is usually the limit?

 

[FoxEye]

Now that is interesting, maybe something his UK lawyers haven't considered. If he believed they were at least 16 (rather than 18) - could he potentially be in trouble under US law where 18 is usually the limit?

It's a federal law, and prohibits sex with persons under 16 worldwide. State law decides the age of consent inside the US (but it must be 16+ to comply with federal law).

 

[413x]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but our age of consent laws make it illegal (for a Brit) to go to another country (with lower consenting age) to have sex there.

So regardless, if you're British the minimum age is 16+... worldwide.

Haven't there been prosecutions of Brits who go abroad for these purposes? I'm sure there have.

e: confirmed:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ts-face-UK-prosecution-over-abuse-abroad.html

e2: The US has the same law.

Didn't know that!

 

[FoxEye]

e: removed, inaccurate

 

[estebanrey]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but our age of consent laws make it illegal (for a Brit) to go to another country (with lower consenting age) to have sex there.

I think you're right but genuinely interested how that law works/is justifiable as I can't think of any other precedent where you are still accountable to UK law outside of its bounds of jurisdiction.

Don't get it twisted, I'm glad an exception is made for that kind of crime but don't understand how it works. If you are no longer on British soil, then how can you be bound by any of its laws or charged for any crime outside its jurisdiction?

 

[413x]

Yeah, when you go abroad you basically have to comply with both sets of laws; theirs and ours.

That applies to a lot more than just age of consent.

Whoops (not in this law!)

 

[robgmun]

I think you're right but genuinely interested how that law works/is justifiable as I can't think of any other precedent where you are still accountable to UK law outside of its bounds of jurisdiction.

Don't get it twisted, I'm glad an exception is made for that kind of crime but don't understand how it works. If you are no longer on British soil, then how can you be bound by any of its laws or charged for any crime outside its jurisdiction?

I think because you're a British Citizen and therefore bound to it laws?

 

[FoxEye]

Don't get it twisted, I'm glad an exception is made for that kind of crime but don't understand how it works. If you are no longer on British soil, then how can you be bound by any of its laws or charged for any crime outside its jurisdiction?

I didn't think this was the only area where Brits overseas were still governed by British law; unfortunately I can't remember what the other areas are and Google isn't helping

I don't think it's just this one issue tho.

 

[estebanrey]

I think because you're a British Citizen and therefore bound to it laws?

So any Brit who goes to America and buys a gun is breaking the law? Any Brit who drives on an Autobahn over 70 mph is breaking the law? Any Brit who sets up a bar in Spain where the drinking age is 16 and sells beer to 17 year olds is breaking the law?

 

[dowie]

So any Brit who goes to America and buys a gun is breaking the law? Any Brit who drives on an Autobahn over 70 mph is breaking the law? Any Brit who sets up a bar in Spain where the drinking age is 16 and sells beer to 17 year olds is breaking the law?

nah - AFAIK this was specific legislation introduced so that British nonces going to the far east could still be prosecuted over here

 

[robgmun]

So any Brit who goes to America and buys a gun is breaking the law? Any Brit who drives on an Autobahn over 70 mph is breaking the law? Any Brit who sets up a bar in Spain where the drinking age is 16 and sells beer to 17 year olds is breaking the law?

I don't know, you tell me, hence the "?"