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

[dowie]

not surprising he got let off... 'beyond reasonable doubt' after all

while we can say hang on it must have been a bit obvious these girls were rather dubious, especially if one of them was 13! He has got a legitimate defence in that the site is for people over 18 and he believed they were at least 16... and they've not said anything to the contrary.

 

[Freakbro]

Why? He's done nothing wrong.

That all might be very true in the cold analysis of the law, but I'm betting that when up close, naked and personal that none of us wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 13 and 16 yo

He got off, doesn't necessarily mean he's innocent.

 

[Freakbro]

He has got a legitimate defence in that the site is for people over 18 and he believed they were at least 16... and they've not said anything to the contrary.

So that is already admitting he recognised the fact they 'might not' have been over 18, so they lied about their age, so what did he base his judgement that they 'were at least' 16...given my post above

 

[FoxEye]

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.

If the 13 year old could plausibly pass for 17, then why isn't it "normal"? And I don't just mean the "she said she was 17" defence, if she looks 11. If she could /pass/ for a 17 year old is what I mean.

As for his age, why is that important? Are you one of those people who think "half your age + 6" should be written into law? That having relations with somebody half your age is morally wrong?

Is it wrong for 50 year old to be intimate with a 17 year old? I mean in your eyes, not legally.

 

[dowie]

I remember being approached by a very flirty 16 year old in Budapest it was obvious she was way too young despite being in a bar - it just felt a bit uncomfortable, she was out with a group of equally young friends, was clearly coming onto me - if I was 16,17,18 I'd have been v.keen but it just felt a bit wrong to even have her chatting/flirting in front of me, ended up moving on to another bar and saying goodbye to that group. I'd really struggle to believe that this Dragon's Den guy didn't realise there was something dubious when those two girls turned up.

 

[CREATIVE!11]

god-damn.... people are retarded.

You hear of youtube stars doing this **** too, are like dudes that desperate? so many have come out abusing their fame to basically pull young girls....

I remember being approached by a very flirty 16 year old in Budapest it was obvious she was way too young despite being in a bar - it just felt a bit uncomfortable, she was out with a group of equally young friends, was clearly coming onto me - if I was 16,17,18 I'd have been v.keen but it just felt a bit wrong to even have her chatting/flirting in front of me, ended up moving on to another bar and saying goodbye to that group. I'd really struggle to believe that this Dragon's Den guy didn't realise there was something dubious when those two girls turned up.

Lets be real, he knew, In clubs i've met so many 17 year olds (use fake id's etc) and can always roughly tell just how they act they can't be more than 18....and yeah it's awkward.

 

[Pudney]

That all might be very true in the cold analysis of the law, but I'm betting that when up close, naked and personal that none of us wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 13 and 16 yo

I disagree. I spent my youth (i.e. late teenage years) working in a cinema, where of course age verification was important (I also got the joys of pre-12A ratings). It isn't always easy, especially when you're looking at the 15 (or in this case 16) boundary, especially if the person is good at masking they're age.

 

[balky12]

Come on, age with women can be such a huge problem.

I'm 26, wouldn't dream of doing anything like that with a minor but I walk through a high street every morning full of secondary school kids. With some of the girls, it's only because they are in school uniform I know they are under 16.

If they were dressed up and we crossed paths I would probably give them a second look and be none the wiser... let alone if they were in a club or a pub...

 

[UTmaniac]

Quite similar story, albeit importantly one was rape and the other consensual, yet a very different outcome...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-35511807

8 years sentence, indefinite addition to sexual offenders' register.

Is it logical to say that if 26-year old Oscar Fitzgerald met up with this 12-year old, not knowing her age and had consensual sex, he would have been found not guilty just like Doug Richard?

I still find it baffling how Doug Richard has no legal consequences for his apparent consensual sex with a 13-year old, when the legal age is 16.

Bit of a thread revival moment, but I thought the similarities between the cases made it worth reviving from the dead.

 

[Nate75]

Quite similar story, albeit importantly one was rape and the other consensual, yet a very different outcome...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-35511807

8 years sentence, indefinite addition to sexual offenders' register.

Is it logical to say that if 26-year old Oscar Fitzgerald met up with this 12-year old, not knowing her age and had consensual sex, he would have been found not guilty just like Doug Richard?

I still find it baffling how Doug Richard has no legal consequences for his apparent consensual sex with a 13-year old, when the legal age is 16.

Bit of a thread revival moment, but I thought the similarities between the cases made it worth reviving from the dead.

I suspect he could afford a better legal team

 

[robgmun]

snip

Jesus that's ****ing disgusting, he should be getting double that sentence.

 

[thep02]

At first I thought he'd got himself into a tight hole but now it looks like he's out.