I would be wondering about the father: Why were no child-trafficking charges filed against HIM?

I really hope that crossing the state line thing is enough to get the feds in there.

i had a friend in high school who was 14 and had a 22 year old BF and her parents let him stay over. i was so upset by that, it seemed so wrong.

The voting thing is set federally, but the drinking age is actually done on a state-by-state basis. There used to be various ages, between 18-21.. Then, in the 80s, Reagan decided to accede to MADD, and told states they had to raise their drinking ages to 21 by a certain date (I think it was some time in 1983 or 84)…

I had a friend my freshman year (we were both 14) who was dating her 20-something-year-old youth pastor. And her mom was totally OK with it. He went along on family outings and, once or twice, came along to events with all the 14-year-old girls. I remember, even then, thinking it was the creepiest thing ever.

I wish it was on youtube, but on Jason (Mr. Samantha Bee) Jones’s series The Detour there was a bit in one episode where they accidentally end up (long story) dealing with a 61-year-old guy who wants to marry a 16-year-old, and there is a smash-cut to the olden times legislature where you see the old-timey men arguing…

Right? You can’t vote or drink, but you can get married with parental permission? Hell, you can’t even drive by yourself at 14. Seems like signing off on your kid getting married that young (ESPECIALLY when it’s to an adult over the age of 18) should be classified as child trafficking.

The paragraph you quoted doesn’t mention or describe seduction. A term you might be looking for is “grooming”.

I sincerely do not understand why we still will allow people as young as 14 to get married. Lord Almighty. This is 2016 and thankfully we don’t consider 22 years of age the beginning of spinsterhood (except in some of the United States). Enough is enough.

All of these awful stories about adults grooming and sexually abusing children and teens has really made me think; how many of us knew girls growing up who were being groomed and raped by men in their late teens and 20s? How many of us thought they were so cool and mature with their “real adult relationships” or were…

I’d say raise it to 25+ so that these youngins can get their hypothalamus or brain parts ‘turned back on’.

What do you want to bet that at his first parole hearing in three years (or less), he tells them that he should totally be free to go because he didn’t really do anything wrong—after all, the girl’s father consented to the marriage. He couldn’t possibly be a rapist if Dad was OK with it all. This is all just a misunder…

This man actually married, had a child/daughter, and through all his life experiences figured taking his child across state lines to marry her rapist was his best and most well thought out decision/action. JHC.

“You break it, you bought it” in its most literal interpretation.

OOhh, we’re getting close to Peter Thiel territory there, though. Lets go with the spaceship or a plague.

Can we change the law so only people 18+ can get married? There is no reason for a minor to enter into a marriage. Even if they’re 17 and want to do it, they can wait a few months.

Well, he did transport a minor across state lines for the purposes of rape-related marriage. I’m amazed they didn’t go with human trafficking charges.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

“the groomer”*

Wait wait wait but I think you’re hiding the silver lining of this news story here... the man was also sentenced to jail time? For rape? For 15 years? I mean, that’s something.