The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

The #FreeKate Case Is Typical

Posted on | July 6, 2013 | 57 Comments

There has been further Facebook ranting by Kaitlyn Hunt’s mother Kelley Hunt Smith this past week that I haven’t had the stomach to transcribe, but part of which involves her reiteration of some of her favorite themes: She feels her daughter is being “singled out” for prosecution; this prosecution is wrong because it is a consenting “relationship,” because the girls are relatively close in age, and because the girls went to school together. At one point in her long rant, KHS wrote:

“I will continue to fight for Kate, and to change the laws to actually protect teenagers from being prosecuted as felons for doing what 99.9% of teenagers are doing all over the world.”

Uh … “99.9% percent”? Are 99.9% of teenagers having sex?

No, actually not. According to one national study, “27% of youth ages 14-17 were sexually active during the survey year.” And that data was cited in a 2005 U.S. Department of Justice study about reported cases of statutory rape, which K.J. Copp called to my attention.

The study is quite relevant because it demonstrates that Kaitlyn Hunt (the 18-year-old Florida girl charged with two felony counts for having sex with a 14-year-old) is not being “singled out.” In fact, laying aside the same-sex nature of her case, it’s actually typical.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of female victims of statutory rape are ages 13-15, with 14 being the most common victim age (31%) in the cases studied by the Justice Department. And for 14-year-old victims, offenders were most commonly (43%) ages 18-20. In reported cases of statutory rape with a female victim age 14, only 20% of offenders were 25 or older. The age difference between Kaitlyn Hunt and her victim (44 months) was typical: 50% of statutory rape cases with 14-year-old victims involved a perpetrator no more than 5 years older.

Was Kaitlyn Hunt’s “relationship” with the 14-year-old “singled out”? Was this case unusual because it involved two high school students? No, not at all: Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the statutory rape cases studied by the Justice Department classified the relationship between offender and victim as “boyfriend or girlfriend” and another 62 percent were classified as “acquaintances.” Of cases involving 14-year-old victims, as we have seen, 43% of offenders were ages 18-20 and another 16% were 17 or younger; ergo, many of the offenders were also high school-age teenagers. It is estimated that more than 15,000 statutory rape cases are reported to U.S. law enforcement agencies annually, so the prosecution of Kaitlyn Hunt isn’t really unusual in any way.

Florida law doesn’t call the crime of which Kaitlyn Hunt is accused “statutory rape,” however. Instead, it’s “lewd and lascivious battery on a child,” but this is only a difference in legal nomenclature.

What is unusual about the Kaitlyn Hunt case is that her parents made such a big deal out of it, and managed to bamboozle more than 300,000 people into signing a petition that dishonestly portrayed Kaitlyn Hunt as a heroic martyr for gay rights, which she isn’t.

Kelley Hunt Smith says she wants “to change the laws to actually protect teenagers from being prosecuted as felons” for doing what her daughter did to a 14-year-old girl. However, isn’t it possible that one reason teenage sex is less common than she imagines — 27% rather than “99.9%” — is because age-of-consent laws make it a crime to have sex with younger teens?

And while 15,000 statutory rape prosecutions annually is a statistic indicating that such cases aren’t exactly rare, more cases would probably be prosecuted if not for the fact that most of the time, all the parent of a minor has to do is say, “Leave my daughter alone, you creep,” and that is enough to end the relationship.

Because it turns out there’s a reason they call it “jailbait,” after all.

 

Category: Kaitlyn Hunt

Comments

57 Responses to “The #FreeKate Case Is Typical”

  1. MrEvilMatt
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:06 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical: The has been further Facebook ranting by Kaitlyn Hunt’s mother Kelley Hunt Smit… http://t.co/YDfpwZzA0H

  2. CHideout
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:06 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical: The has been further Facebook ranting by Kaitlyn Hunt’s mother Kelley Hunt Smit… http://t.co/dwLjnvrgiJ

  3. jwbrown1969
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:06 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical: The has been further Facebook ranting by Kaitlyn Hunt’s mother Kelley Hunt Smit… http://t.co/1jMzplAViw

  4. Lockestep1776
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:06 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical: The has been further Facebook ranting by Kaitlyn Hunt’s mother Kelley Hunt Smit… http://t.co/ORhqGRkQph

  5. Citzcom
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:06 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical: The has been further Facebook ranting by Kaitlyn Hunt’s mother Kelley Hunt Smit… http://t.co/9N5PTYqwf7

  6. rsmccain
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:10 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/rWYsTdLtyR “There’s a reason they call it ‘jailbait,’ after all” | @kjcopp @Jeanette_Runyon #tcot

  7. rsmccain
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:29 am

    @sjreidhead BTW, did you see this? http://t.co/rWYsTdLtyR

  8. DaTechGuyblog
    July 6th, 2013 @ 6:44 am

    There goes that @rsmccain confusing the #freekate crowd with those pesky facts and stats http://t.co/ybxhLphZGk

  9. kjcopp
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:21 am

    Exactly Right! “@rsmccain: The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/v9CpkzYv9w “There’s a reason they call it ‘jailbait,’ after all”

  10. kjcopp
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:22 am

    RT @rsmccain: The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/rWYsTdLtyR “There’s a reason they call it ‘jailbait,’ after all” | @kjcopp @Jeanett…

  11. Ivory
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:28 am

    Most FreeKater’s won’t handle facts and logic well and seem incapable of basic reasoning. Of course all their martyr/victim rants won’t mean anything when they stand before Judge Pegg. 300K+ signatures also mean nothing in a court of law – particularly when the vast majority come from outside IRC and Florida.
    These people are not playing with a full deck. They are making things worse for themselves and seemingly doing so gleefully.

  12. kjcopp
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:33 am

    @rachiez3 You think KH is a victim? – stats say otherwise. MT @rsmccain: The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/v9CpkzYv9w

  13. Jeanette_Runyon
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:34 am

    RT @DaTechGuyblog: There goes that @rsmccain confusing the #freekate crowd with those pesky facts and stats http://t.co/ybxhLphZGk

  14. kjcopp
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:54 am

    Truth=Hate “@DaTechGuyblog: There goes that @rsmccain confusing the #freekate crowd with those pesky facts and stats http://t.co/v9CpkzYv9w”

  15. MrsDigger
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:57 am

    RT @DaTechGuyblog: There goes that @rsmccain confusing the #freekate crowd with those pesky facts and stats http://t.co/ybxhLphZGk

  16. MattRoss
    July 6th, 2013 @ 9:21 am

    #FreeKate folks are going to say that this post is hateful. Waaaaay to many facts here!

  17. NASCARNAC
    July 6th, 2013 @ 9:31 am

    RT @DaTechGuyblog: There goes that @rsmccain confusing the #freekate crowd with those pesky facts and stats http://t.co/ybxhLphZGk

  18. Jeanette_Runyon
    July 6th, 2013 @ 9:34 am

    RT @kjcopp: Truth=Hate “@DaTechGuyblog: There goes that @rsmccain confusing the #freekate crowd with those pesky facts and stats http://t.c…

  19. Kelsonus
    July 6th, 2013 @ 9:35 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical
    There’s a reason they call it “jailbait”
    http://t.co/HQ4fHLDeII

  20. MrEvilMatt
    July 6th, 2013 @ 9:42 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/gHi3pRsBXd

  21. kjcopp
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:07 am

    Truth! “@Kelsonus: The #FreeKate Case Is Typical
    There’s a reason they call it “jailbait”
    http://t.co/yYdWqFxlmE”

  22. kjcopp
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:08 am

    RT @MrEvilMatt: The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/gHi3pRsBXd

  23. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:31 am

    So let’s ask the question: Why is #FreeKate and her parents so dysfunctional? And how did Kaitlyn Hunt Smith end up this way? This is not a sexual liberation case, but a sexual abuse case and I suspect that 14 year old is not the only victim…

    And being a victim yourself is not license or excuse to victimize others.

  24. unicornmajik
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:34 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/NLL8A4p9qs

  25. thatMrGguy
    July 6th, 2013 @ 11:03 am

    The #FreeKate Case Is Typical http://t.co/uVcydbJnG2

  26. SDN
    July 6th, 2013 @ 11:29 am

    Unless 1 or more of those 300k signatories is in the jury pool… and lies about signing.

    That has almost certainly been part of the strategy from the beginning: taint the jury pool sufficiently that any jury picked can be hung.

    And as Stacy has pointed out, lying is second nature to Democrats.

  27. Jay McHue
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:06 pm

    They are dysfunctional because they are classic white trash who only care about themselves.

  28. Richard McEnroe
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:09 pm

    In an empirical sense it doesn’t matter. The dog pack is already feral and rabid. Now they have to be dealt with.

  29. jinx_mchue
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:09 pm

    #FreeKate Case Is Typical: http://t.co/72GnDV4rbq Teen sex, however, is not — especially not on school grounds.

  30. Jay McHue
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:10 pm

    I would add that it’s highly likely that a significant part of that 27% of teens who claim to be sexually active are flat-out lying.

  31. ameryx
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:33 pm

    Perhaps Ms. Hunt’s mother thinks that 99.9% of teenagers are sexually active for the same reason Pauline Kael was shocked at Nixon’s defeat of McGovern in 1972… IYKWIMAITTYD

  32. Adjoran
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:52 pm

    She can’t help being psychotic, but she could just shut up, couldn’t she? What possible purpose is her public ranting serving? Are they still raising money, even after banning administrators on the web page for failure to march in lockstep? And to whom are these funds being reported? Somebody call the IRS! (If the line is busy, check by a Tea Party office near you – they may be in the back, going through the garbage).

  33. Adjoran
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:57 pm

    This woman calls to mind the chick from Amy’s Baking Company. She would scream at customers, fire wait staff for pointing out the order was filled incorrectly, throw reviewers out on their ears, take all the servers’ tips, and generally refused to admit anything she did could possibly be anything but perfect.

    The restaurant was failing – surprise! – so they called in celebrity chef and restaurant-fixer Gordon Ramsay. After surveying the operation and talking with Amy several times, he refused to go on, his episode was wasted because she was so nuts.

    Does Kelly Hunt Smith have a sister?

  34. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    July 6th, 2013 @ 3:56 pm

    Thanks for the tip!

  35. Finrod Felagund
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:50 pm

    Yeah, I’ve seen reports on the insane contract that place made employees sign, crap like ‘cannot work for another bakery in the same town for a year’ and other extreme stuff.

  36. Ryan
    July 6th, 2013 @ 5:12 pm

    Your argument makes perfect sense. If Kelly Hunt Smith thinks 99.9% of teenagers are “doing it,” then she can justify to herself that her daughter’s activities as normal when they are anything but.

  37. Ryan
    July 6th, 2013 @ 5:13 pm

    I’m sure it’s 99.9% accurate.

  38. Morsi Supporters Promise Terrorist Attacks and Weekend Links!
    July 6th, 2013 @ 6:45 pm

    […] Other McCain has many good blog posts up including this one by Stacy on “The #FreeKate Case Is […]

  39. jinx_mchue
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:24 pm

    Another #freekate lie: mom Kelley claims “99.9%” of teens have sex. Reality is 27%. http://t.co/72GnDV4rbq

  40. Jay McHue
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:25 pm

    Heh.

  41. Jeanette_Runyon
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:29 pm

    RT @jinx_mchue: Another #freekate lie: mom Kelley claims “99.9%” of teens have sex. Reality is 27%. http://t.co/72GnDV4rbq

  42. rmnixondeceased
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:56 pm

    Self delusion in justification of one’s child’s behavior is all too common.

  43. RMNixonDeceased
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:56 pm

    “Self delusion in justification of one’s child’s behavior is all too common.” — rmnixondeceased http://t.co/ZGbcIocEWg

  44. trangbang68
    July 7th, 2013 @ 1:40 am

    I’ll fess up. I’m singling Kate out because she’s a nasty little piglet, the spawn of a couple of jacked up reprobates. She’s a poster child for the social decline in the USA, morally bankrupt “parents” turning their filthy offspring loose on the public. Lock the wretched little perv up.

  45. Gunservatively
    July 7th, 2013 @ 9:14 am

    “Because it turns out there’s a reason they call it ‘jailbait,’ after all.” http://t.co/YaaUwkGq1c #freekate #culturalROT

  46. lilmommyE
    July 7th, 2013 @ 3:22 pm

    Actual facts?! What a concept in the #freekate case! Thanks @rsmccain http://t.co/L656yBrGtS

  47. rsmccain
    July 7th, 2013 @ 3:29 pm

    RT @lilmommyE: Actual facts?! What a concept in the #freekate case! Thanks @rsmccain http://t.co/L656yBrGtS

  48. NASCARNAC
    July 7th, 2013 @ 3:37 pm

    RT @lilmommyE: Actual facts?! What a concept in the #freekate case! Thanks @rsmccain http://t.co/L656yBrGtS

  49. kjcopp
    July 7th, 2013 @ 5:20 pm

    RT @lilmommyE: Actual facts?! What a concept in the #freekate case! Thanks @rsmccain http://t.co/L656yBrGtS

  50. Steynian 479st | Free Canuckistan!
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