Hey. Did he get any councelling / psychotherapy when he was inside? I really really really really really wish that inprisonment was about rehabilitation rather than retribution.

There are issues around whether a fourteen year old can give informed consent... There are also issues around whether he may have been in a position of power / authority over her. I guess we have no way of knowing how she is likely to feel about that in later years (many therapists would consider the relationship sexual abuse by definition and hence media / popular conception / therapy is more likely to lead to her feeling traumatised as a consequence).

Sigh.

But sure I hear what you are saying... I think there is a difference (a significant one) between violent crimes and non violent crimes. I think there is a difference (a significant one) between people only just under age and people who haven't hit puberty yet. I think there is a difference (a significant one) between people who have inappropriate sexual relationships (in the sense of with people underage) as a once off thing, or whether they make a routine habit of it. I think there is a difference between people who have a relationship with that person (where they date and hold hands and have an emotional attachment etc) and when there is sex that is kept quiet.

But the public register doesn't notice these distinctions...

And hence we tend to assume the worst of everyone on it...

And it really can ruin peoples lives. It really can. Imagine if you heard that someone on the register was hanging around your kids preschool... What would you think? Would you be concerned?

What if it was the bus driver going to pick up his granddaughter at the request of his son?