AboutEd Buckner Expertise Nationally known freethinker will answer questions on church and state, including giving specific quotations and historical or logical support on religious liberty questions. I`m an expert on the U.S. Constitution, First Amendment, and the Treaty with Tripoli (1796-97). I am a Regional Director for the Council for Secular Humanism, active in the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and a leader of the Atlanta Freethought Society and The Georgia Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I earned a Ph.D.in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University in 1983.
Expert: Ed Buckner Date: 6/24/2008 Subject: statutory rape
Question Well I am 18 years old now and I have a daughter that I had at the age of 16 with a man who told me he was 19. I actually met him when I was 15, so that would make him 21 today, but just recently after I turned 18, I soon found at he’s actually 27 years old. And I was just wondering is there something, (anything) I can do as far as pressing charges against him. Honestly, I’m not ok with this situation I feel that it was wrong, very wrong of him to take advantage of me like that, I was just a little girl . I feel as if I was a little girl who didn’t know better and my rights were taken away by lies that he feed me. I really hope it is not ok for something like this to happen and him possibly get away with Statutory rape just because I found out after I turned 18 his real age.
Answer Dear Misty,
I am not an attorney, and you need very much to talk with someone who is. The exact details of the law where you live are crucial in this, and an on-line, uninvolved expert will not be sufficient to help. Though I lack legal expertise, my opinion is that ignorance of the true age of the offender by the victim will not be a helpful defense for the offender.
If you cannot afford an attorney, try the local legal aid society--and the ACLU or Planned Parenthood might be able to give you advice or referral to an attorney.
The local police might also be able to help--but you probably need to know your own rights and responsibilities better before you approach them.
