BBC presenter Huw Edwards suspended over paying for sexual pics.

[SpookyFrank]

They aren't 'child soldiers' they aren't allowed to fight. They are effectively full time cadets.

From UNICEF:

Children become part of an armed force or group for various reasons. Some are abducted, threatened, coerced or manipulated by armed actors. Others are driven by poverty, compelled to generate income for their families. Still others associate themselves for survival or to protect their communities. No matter their involvement, the recruitment and use of children by armed forces is a grave violation of child rights and international humanitarian law.

As for the UK's child soldiers being kept out of harm's way, err, nope...

The experiences of the people who have chosen to share their stories for the first time are consistent with the limited data made available by the UK’s Ministry of Defence. Most of the attacks took place when the teens were new recruits or in their first few years in the military, and very few led to any kind of prosecution. The UK is the only major military power – and one of only 16 countries in the world – to enlist from age 16, with the youngest people the most vulnerable to abuse.

There was a tenfold rise in the number of reports of minors being subjected to sexual assaults and rape, from 1 in 2015 to 10 last year, Freedom of Information requests from think tank Child Rights International Network (CRIN) show. Over the past year, this number increased almost fivefold. In this year’s figures, 47 teenagers under 18 have been identified by military police as victims of sexual assault and rape, including 37 girls and 10 boys, UK Defence Minister Leo Docherty told Parliament. There are only 240 girls of this age currently signed up - there were 290 during the period of the attacks - meaning more than 1 in 10 girls enlisted has said they have been assaulted.

Teenage Girls Serving in British Army Report Record Levels of Sexual Assault

VICE World News can reveal that a record number of teenagers have reported harassment – which are dismissed as “just banter” – even as the military tries to recruit more women.

www.vice.com

 

[Sasaferrato]

They aren't 'child soldiers' they aren't allowed to fight. They are effectively full time cadets.

Don't expect Frank to know anything about the army.

 

[Bingoman]

So a 'Male' Presenter has now been suspended the plot thickens?

 

[krtek a houby]

Whoever he is, it's manna from heaven for the usual suspects.

(Not condoning his behaviour in any way, obviously)

 

[Tanya1982]

I can tell you, that as horny 17 year old, repulsive it wasn't. It was mutual, exciting and hot.

Would you do it to a 17 year old? It might be fun if you are the 17 year old. But would you do it to one now you aren’t one, or would you think ‘actually, no’.

‘I can’t believe Miss P is naked in front of me’: the affair with a teacher that changed my life

Joe Gibson was 17, at school and hoping to get the grades that would earn him a scholarship at Oxford. But then a casual flirtation with his 35-year-old Spanish teacher turned into something far more serious

www.theguardian.com

 

[Dystopiary]

yes - much of the speculation seems to be based on [presenter] being either known gay / bi, and / or a 'woke leftie' (and not quite sure how anyone managed to include jeremy vine in the latter - the odd times i have heard his show, it comes across as the daily mail set to bland music...)

Seen quite a few "Hope it's [X]" posts. Horrible.

 

[krtek a houby]

A good friend of mine had a fling with a guy in his early 30s when she was 14 or 15.

At the time, she was enamoured with him. He was popular, pillar of the community type, iirc.

We talked about it not long ago and she was like, "yeah, looking back on it, that was well dodgy." But she is adamant that it wasn't a traumatic situation and it hasn't messed her up.

Am still somewhat messed up about it, Tbh.

But it's not about this poster. So have to accept that she accepts it.

Why can't some guys exercise restraint? Mean, FFS, you're an adult playing with a young teenager's feelings and all the rest.

 

[Weller]

I can’t find evidence of this happening. Just that Chris Moyles made some creepy remarks.

there was a fake website posting fake "rundown" clock and fake newspaper cuttings regarding some of the under 16s stars and when we could legally get to see them on page 3 The Sun in the 70s and 80s was very much like that as I remember it
Most factories and automotive type places had walls adorned with Sam Fox page 3 etc and The Sun often had young celebs under age close to page 3 and stating things such as "shes certainly growing up fast and nearly 16 nearly old enough for page 3 etc" and its well known that some were offered lots of money as soon as they reached age , some accepted some didnt but some spoke up
Different country back then with sleezy newspaper porn or near porn everywhere in the workplace and rest rooms that I felt uncomfortable working in so the fake site wasnt far off or isnt if its still there somewhere
More recently some of the pictures and stories about under age Harry Potter and Disney stars were not that different but not read The Sun for many years even free in a canteen

 

[gosub]

Seen quite a few "Hope it's [X]" posts. Horrible.

Off the description given can only be one of a couple of dozen people...all of which will be having a shite weekend off the way it has been done

 

[bimble]

Question : if they had solid proper evidence about whatever this is, how come the sun didn’t just publish the name? Not insinuating that anyone’s lying I’m just curious how that works.

 

[krtek a houby]

there was a fake website posting fake "rundown" clock and fake newspaper cuttings regarding some of the under 16s stars and when we could legally get to see them on page 3 The Sun in the 70s and 80s was very much like that as I remember it
Most factories and automotive type places had walls adorned with Sam Fox page 2 etc and The Sun often had young celebs under age close to page 3 and stating things such as "shes certainly growing up fast and nearly 16 nearly old enough for page 3 etc"
Different country with sleezy newspaper porn or near porn everywhere in the workplace that I felt uncomfortable working in so the fake site wasnt far off or isnt if its still there somewhere
More recently some of the pictures and stories about under age Harry Potter and Disney stars were not that different

Yes, and a few tennis up and coming players as well, iirc.

Absolute silence from the crowd who scream "groomers" at every other opportunity, of course.

 

[friedaweed]

Given this site's age long standing on that sort of shitrag I'm surprised we're even mentioning its name.

​

 

[krtek a houby]

Question : if they had solid proper evidence about whatever this is, how come the sun didn’t just publish the name? Not insinuating that anyone’s lying I’m just curious how that works.

Libel, super injunction etc, at a guess?

 

[friedaweed]

Question : if they had solid proper evidence about whatever this is, how come the sun didn’t just publish the name?

Because they want to keep the idiots that buy it in suspense so they'll buy the next issue.

 

[bimble]

Libel, super injunction etc, at a guess?

Libel is if they don’t have proper proof isn’t it.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Libel is if they don’t have proper proof isn’t it.

A damaging, false statement = libel

 

[Tanya1982]

A good friend of mine had a fling with a guy in his early 30s when she was 14 or 15.

At the time, she was enamoured with him. He was popular, pillar of the community type, iirc.

We talked about it not long ago and she was like, "yeah, looking back on it, that was well dodgy." But she is adamant that it wasn't a traumatic situation and it hasn't messed her up.

Am still somewhat messed up about it, Tbh.

But it's not about this poster. So have to accept that she accepts it.

Why can't some guys exercise restraint? Mean, FFS, you're an adult playing with a young teenager's feelings and all the rest.

I agree - if she feels OK about it, it’s not for anyone else to make her feel uncomfortable. It’s something in her past that doesn’t interrupt her present, so that’s great. That’s her, and nobody should tell her how to feel about her own history.

In terms of this story, nobody really knows anything - who, what, why - so it seems unwise to speculate or draw wider lessons. I’m uncomfortable with the idea that employers should know before they know, and act as judge and jury without evidence - it seems like a really unfair demand, which the Schofield thing highlighted.

And I think that, while it’s probably distasteful for someone in advanced adulthood to have sex with a 17 year old, providing they are over the age of consent and the older person isn‘t in a position of authority over that person, it’s not abusive in and of itself. I hate puritans.

 

[bimble]

Would you do it to a 17 year old? It might be fun if you are the 17 year old. But would you do it to one now you aren’t one, or would you think ‘actually, no’.

‘I can’t believe Miss P is naked in front of me’: the affair with a teacher that changed my life

Joe Gibson was 17, at school and hoping to get the grades that would earn him a scholarship at Oxford. But then a casual flirtation with his 35-year-old Spanish teacher turned into something far more serious

www.theguardian.com

Yep it’s a good question. I can’t imagine ever doing this myself, at all, reversing the age diff that was fine for me when I was the youngster.
But that doesn’t mean I think my friend from back then did anything wrong, in the particular circumstances that pertained in our particular lives at the time.
Was well aware of the judgements of others back then too.

It does makes me uncomfortable how ready people seem to strip all agency from the young, idk if that’s because of this personal history stuff but I don’t think so think it’s more of a general feeling, maybe just cos I’m old, that the desire to protect can overstep the mark.

 

[Weller]

Given this site's age long standing on that sort of shitrag I'm surprised we're even mentioning its name.

View attachment 382550​

I mentioned it with no links
but there is some shite out there if people want to see actual articles from over the years about how soon the bras might be needed or come off , young stars that shouldnt be out in skimpy clothes etc etc always including the photos taken through a taxi window or gained by kneeling down with a camera etc

 

[bimble]

A damaging, false statement = libel

Yep so it’s either an injunction or they aren’t sure about their big scoop weekend scandal story.

 

[krtek a houby]

I agree - if she feels OK about it, it’s not for anyone else to make her feel uncomfortable. It’s something in her past that doesn’t interrupt her present, so that’s great. That’s her, and nobody should tell her how to feel about her own history.

In terms of this story, nobody really knows anything - who, what, why - so it seems unwise to speculate or draw wider lessons. I’m uncomfortable with the idea that employers should know before they know, and act as judge and jury without evidence - it seems like a really unfair demand, which the Schofield thing highlighted.

And I think that, while it’s probably distasteful for someone in advanced adulthood to have sex with a 17 year old, providing they are over the age of consent and the older person isn‘t in a position of authority over that person, it’s not abusive in and of itself. I hate puritans.

It does seem unwise to speculate but... y'know, the thread and all that...

Imho, positions are being drawn and there will be those who will feed off the older/younger male element and those who will use it to beat on the woke BBC and those who will just despair at the sordid power imbalance between rich exploitative men and their victims.

It's all very depressing.

 

[editor]

A damaging, false statement = libel

There's a good description here - Basic UK libel law for idiots by Adam Porter

 

[bimble]

the sordid power imbalance between rich exploitative men and their victims.

It's all very depressing.

The 20 year old hasn’t said anything about being a victim, hasn’t spoken at all - the only quotes we have from them are via their mum, and are about how much big money they made through the transaction. If they say they are a victim that’s different, imo.

 

[friedaweed]

I mentioned it but no links but there is some shite out there if people want to see actual articles from over the years about how soon the bras might be needed or come off , young stars that shouldnt be out in skimpy clothes always including the photos taken through a taxi window etc

All the more reason to just ignore it then and not unearth it's bile. It's like the biggest troll in the room, feed it at your peril.

Sorry mate, no beef with you, just that horrible fucking rag and all associated with it. Should be on trial for the lives that rag has destroyed and so should that little horrible cunt that owns it.

Counting the days we can piss on his grave.

 

[krtek a houby]

Was well aware of the judgements of others back then too.

It does makes me uncomfortable how ready people seem to strip all agency from the young, idk if that’s because of this personal history stuff but I don’t think so think it’s more of a general feeling, maybe just cos I’m old, that the desire to protect can overstep the mark.

This is the thing, isn't it?

Some of us forget our youth or say that things are different these days etc.

Am reminded that my friend was outgoing, intelligent and not afraid of doing exactly what she wanted to.

But she was routinely referred to as a "bike" by peers who maybe were jealous or intimidated by her sexual activity. And some of the peers were not averse to going out with her when it suited them. And a few years later, in their twenties, spouting the ugliest of sayings "if she's old enough to bleed, she's bleeding old enough" when called out on leering at underage girls.

Ugh, the fucked upness of youth.

 

[danski]

Would you do it to a 17 year old? It might be fun if you are the 17 year old. But would you do it to one now you aren’t one, or would you think ‘actually, no’.

‘I can’t believe Miss P is naked in front of me’: the affair with a teacher that changed my life

Joe Gibson was 17, at school and hoping to get the grades that would earn him a scholarship at Oxford. But then a casual flirtation with his 35-year-old Spanish teacher turned into something far more serious

www.theguardian.com

No, I wouldn’t. I would think it’s iffy.

 

[andysays]

Question : if they had solid proper evidence about whatever this is, how come the sun didn’t just publish the name? Not insinuating that anyone’s lying I’m just curious how that works.

This might be worth reading

Why isn't BBC presenter being named by the media?​

 

[bimble]

Just coming back to this..

If the 17 yr old was being asked for photos when they were 17 then it's very much relevant.

Nothing personal with you Aladdin but the idea that the legality in your jurisdiction and your personal morality are one and the same thing is weird, and best avoided, imo.

I mean If you want to do that (“he committed a crime by buying pics from an under 18 yr old, and because that’s illegal he’s repugnant etc”) do you also follow through & agree that people deserve to be locked up for weed / non payment of tv licenses?

Cos if not then quoting the law of the land isn’t relevant to whether we feel people’s choices are ethically good or bad. The law pertains to the state-administered consequences only.

Keeping those 2 things separate (what the law says & what you as a person feel is right and wrong) seems kind of important, especially given who makes the laws round here.

 

[Tanya1982]

No, I wouldn’t. I would think it’s iffy.

It’s funny, the way we draw boundaries. Mine is probably about 20 - I wouldn’t look to go below, and I’d have no interest in anyone still at school. But I can see that someone in their 30’s or even older could legitimately meet a 17 year old in somewhere like a bar, and a mutual attraction could naturally develop.

A lot of people around would say I - 41 this year - shouldn’t have sex with guys in their 20’s. For as long as a) they appeal to me and b) I can attract them, I’ll continue to. Is it an abuse of power - one party a well off white woman, the other a penniless student? Who knows. Some witch burners might say so.

 

[Thesaint]

This might be worth reading

Why isn't BBC presenter being named by the media?​

I imagine the paper the stories are in wants to keep the whole story alive for as long as possible, for it's commercial interests.