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

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

Well clearly not because it would be absurd and my dad would have been arrested at the airport when he bought me a beer in Mallorca when I was 17 all those years ago.

It would obviously be unworkable for laws to be based on place of birth and not local culture. 19 year Brits demanding entry to nightclubs in the US, an English gay couple forcing a Northern Irish registrar to marry them etc.

Also some laws directly contradict each other based on where you are. Like what side of the road you go on for example.

Market abuse and money laundering laws, IIRC?

But aren't they more international laws where all the countries enforce the same law in mutual agreement?
 
Soldato
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Bit shocked to read he has been cleared, with no sentence and presumably nothing going on record.

If the girl had been under 13, legally she would have been deemed too young to give consent to have sex, Doug Richard would then have been convicted of at least statutory rape.

But because she was 13 and gave consent to have sex, despite Mr Richard claiming he thought she was 17, the above charge cannot be applied.

I really don't like that awful grey area that seems to exist for girls between 13 and 16 in the UK, to me me it sends very mixed and bad messages. This case specifically, a 50-something with a 13 year old sounds very creepy and very wrong.
 
Man of Honour
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I really don't like that awful grey area that seems to exist for girls between 13 and 16 in the UK, to me me it sends very mixed and bad messages. This case specifically, a 50-something with a 13 year old sounds very creepy and very wrong.

What's the mans age got to do with it? It's no different if the man was 18 or 50. If you sleep with a 13 year old girl it's illeagal.
 
Man of Honour
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Bit shocked to read he has been cleared, with no sentence and presumably nothing going on record.

That's what happens when you're found not guilty of a crime. You can't sentence someone who isn't convicted of a crime.
If the girl had been under 13, legally she would have been deemed too young to give consent to have sex, Doug Richard would then have been convicted of at least statutory rape.

No, he would have been charged with sexual activity with a person under 13. That's not a rape charge, is a separate offence.
 
Caporegime
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If you showed the court a road sign saying "50', or there was no road sign saying "30" when going from the 50-30 and it wasn't obviously a 30 then you'd probably get quite a long way.
 
Soldato
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Not surprised he was found "Not guilty" as they could not prove beyond reasonable doubt. However, the events that occurred sound dubious in the extreme.
 
Soldato
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I really don't like that awful grey area that seems to exist for girls between 13 and 16 in the UK, to me me it sends very mixed and bad messages. This case specifically, a 50-something with a 13 year old sounds very creepy and very wrong.

What's the mans age got to do with it? It's no different if the man was 18 or 50. If you sleep with a 13 year old girl it's illeagal.

Please re-read my quote, I specifically wrote I do not like the law as it stands for girls between 13 and 16.

So you think it is just as normal for an 18 year old man to be attracted to and have sex with someone 13, as if the man like in this specific case was over 50? The vast difference in age in the latter is more concerning for me and should have a harsher punishment, if convicted.

Doug Richard appears to have got away scot-free, it appears he will not even appear on the sex offenders register. It appears it was not deemed illegal today.
 
Man of Honour
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So you think it is just as normal for an 18 year old man to be attracted to and have sex with someone 13, as if the man like in this specific case was over 50? The vast difference in age in the latter is more concerning for me and should have a harsher punishment, if convicted.

No I have not said that at all. I am clearly saying that any sexual activity with a girl of 13 is wrong. But there is no difference whether that person is 18 or 50. I am saying it is not normal for any adult to be attracted to a girl of 13.

Many people harp on about it being creepy because someone is 50. But in the eyes of the law there is no difference between a 50 year old and an 18 year old. Both are adults and bound by the same laws.
 
Soldato
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An absolute joke he's got away scot free.

Why? He's done nothing wrong.

The married dad-of-three met the 13-year-old through a free-to-join American website, called 'Seeking Arrangements', where she had advertised herself as a 'sugar baby' after claiming to be at least 18.
The Law said:
If you reasonably believe the person is 16-years-old or over then you have a defence.
If the defendant thought she was 16 with any reasonable belief then he or she is not guilty.
 
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