Well we have seen a lot of these over the past few years. Certainly not something I remember hearing about when in school. I'm sure this occurred. Maybe not as frequently.
I do think we are seeing more cases being prosecuted.
A Sheffield Junior High School teacher has been charged with rape and sodomy after authorities said she was caught with a Sheffield High ninth-grader.
Police detective Capt. Lanny Coan tells the TimesDaily that 38-year-old Amanda Watkins was charged on Monday and has been transferred to the Colbert County Jail.
Coan said her bail is set at $15,000.
A police officer caught Watkins and the 15-year-old student Saturday night in a car parked behind Covenant Christian School.
Coan said the two were trying to get their clothes on when the officer pulled up.
The second-degree charges are Class B felonies and are punishable by two to 20 years in prison.
What are your thoughts?
Hi Martin,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately we are seeing more and more of these type cases and while the morally of the case is without question horrific, the prosecution (sentencing) of these cases is not nearly equal to those of men who are convicted of similiar type crimes. Also, society seems to have a greater tolerance of this behavior as somewhat dismissive because the assault is perpetrated upon a male. The sexual assault of boys, particularly those beyond the age of 12 is almost seen as some sort of right of passage into manhood and the emotional damage thereby overlooked in potentially the same manner as female victims. As you are aware, children/teens cannot legally consent to sexual acts either with other members of their peers and especially not with adults. Children/teens also cannot emotionally and morally consent to sexual acts for which many of them are no where need the level of emotional maturity in order to deal with the consequences. Female sexual perpetrators must be judicially prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as would their male counterparts and now viewed as less than the criminals they are. The Florida case involving the "blonde hair/blue eyed beauty who was given probation for her rape of a minor, I believe set a precedence in allowing more women to get away with RAPE.