Reply #7: It's a red herring

[TorchTheWitch]

Doesn't make a damn bit of difference even if it WAS a prank. It is clear that Foley talked dirty to these kids, promised them political advancement if they let him "grope their ___ once in awhile," offered them alcohol and everything else foul and disgusting revealed in the IM's. It's also clear in the IM's that FOLEY was the instigator... many times kids backed off, but he aggressively kept after them.

HE DID IT. That's ALL that matters. He knew who he was talking to, he knew how old they were, he knew his own law made it illegal (which can be applied retroactively), and he did solicit sex from them. HE is the adult. HE knows it's wrong, illegal and that if caught he would rightfully go down for it. HE IS GUILTY.

Not only that, but it is ALSO sexual harassment. These kids although out of the page program want political careers which makes them STILL subordinate to him... Foley STILL wielded power over them. He offered political advancement for sex... BLATANT sexual harassment in crisp, clear, shiny black and white.

Dateline has just had a series of shows about adults pretending to be underage chatting with perverts online, and the pervs rightfully go down for it... arrested immediately even. Everybody knows that this type of predator snagging is used by law enforcement to catch creepy perverts, and everybody thinks it's a great idea that they do. Foley is JUST LIKE those creepy perverts except he chatted online with ACTUAL underage kids, not kids pretending to be underage.

Who CARES if it was a prank??? Law enforcement does the SAME THING to catch creepy perverts, and America LOVES them for it. And law enforcement doesn't even use REAL minors to boot!

RED. HERRING.