This 16 year old Spears having a baby. Will her 19 year old boyfriend

[rurallib]

be arrested and criminalized as a sex offender?

[Occam Bandage]

1. I have no idea what the consent laws are in their state,

but I'm sure it's fine.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

2. You're sure what's fine? (n/)

[Occam Bandage]

3. I'm sure no illegal acts were committed in the production of this human.

[rurallib]

4. I would love to see the O'Reillys and Hannitys of the world

lead a charge to have this kid thrown in the hoosegow. Not because I have any animosity toward any of these folks, but I would think this may help highlight how insane some of these idiot laws are.

[madrchsod]

5. depends on which state the intercourse took place

california where she worked or louisiana where she lives. i doubt he`ll be charged with anything at all...

[rurallib]

9. This one looks like something the RW could really turn into a

witch hunt - but wait didn't the Spears back W? What I am getting at is more RW hypocracy

[Deja Q]

16. Probably in a drunk or stoned state, but I agree - fame will prevent justice from prevailing.

:shrug:

[durrrty libby]

6. Interesting question. I think she lives in Louisiana

[mrcheerful]

7. Nope 16 and 19 are with-in the 4 year limit of age between the couple. If either had been 22

and the other was 16, then it would be a sex crime, in most states.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

8. What 16-year-old Spears?

? :shrug:

[rurallib]

10. Britney's little sister I think

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. Thank you.

I'm beginning to think I must live under a box or something. I never hear any of the gossipy stuff anymore before it hits DU.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

12. Her sister is famous for being famous and apparently she is famous because

her sister is famous for being famous. Maybe one day her daughter will be famous because her mother is famous because her sister is famous for being famous.

[Poiuyt]

13. Jamie Lynn Spears pregnancy raises legal questions

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Experts say there is a disparity in how statutory rape laws are applied
Jamie Lynn Spears is 16, and her boyfriend -- the father of her child -- is 18
There has been no talk of criminal prosecution involving the couple
Experts: Attorneys choose when to prosecute, leading to unfairness


(CNN) -- The announced pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears -- the 16-year-old children's television star and younger sister of beleaguered pop star Britney Spears -- is casting new light on how states deal with the thorny issue of consensual sex among teens.

Spears, the star of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101," told OK! Magazine that she's pregnant and that the father is her 18-year-old boyfriend.

There has been no public talk of criminal prosecution in the case. Consensual sex between the two may well have been legal, depending on where and when it took place.

But critics of the nation's statutory rape laws say that laws that are ignored in some cases can be used to put other teens in prison and land them on sex-offender registries.

==

In Louisiana, where Spears lives, it is a misdemeanor for someone age 17 to 19 to have consensual sex with someone age 15 to 17 if the difference between their ages is more than two years.

In California, where she sometimes tapes her television show, it's a misdemeanor to have sex with someone younger than 18 if the offender is less than three years older. Someone more than three years older could be charged with a felony.

more -

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/19/spears.statutory.rape/index.html

[question everything]

15. Let me guess: she was taught abstinence (nt)

[Deja Q]

17. No, I think she simply rebeled against it...

Oops.

[City Lights]

18. Here's another article...apparently his exact age is up in the air...

Jamie Lynn Spears Pregnant - National Media Circle Boyfriend's Mississippi Home
By: Anna Adair, WAFB-TV

A group of reporters and photographers from across the country descended on the small town of Gloster, Mississippi Wednesday afternoon in hopes of interviewing the father of Jamie Lynn Spears' baby. Crews from Access Hollywood, People Magazine, TMZ.COM, and the Montel Williams Show were camped outside the home of Casey Aldridge. Family members said Aldridge was not home.

Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old sister of Britney Spears, tells OK! Magazine she is three months pregnant. She says Aldridge, her high school boyfriend, is the father. Published reports offer disputing accounts of Aldridge's age. Some reports say he is 19 while others indicate he is 18. Aldridge's uncle, Pastor Odus Jackson, told reporters he's not sure if his nephew is 18 or 19.

Jackson told WAFB Reporter Anna Adair that Aldridge's family is "bewildered" by the news of the pregnancy."I'm sure they would have liked to have become grandparents in a different mode but I think ultimately they will accept it," Jackson said of Aldridge's parents. Jackson, who is the pastor of Galilee Baptist Church in Gloster, says he hosted his nephew and Jamie Lynn at his home for Thanksgiving dinner last month.

Spears is the host of a show on Nickelodeon called "Zoey 101", a show popular with young girls.

Depending on their exact age difference and the state where the sexual intercourse took place, the father of Jamie Lynn Spears' baby could face criminal charges. In Spears' hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, a spokeswoman for the local sheriff's department says no complaint has been filed in the case. "No criminal investigation is currently underway," said Blair Foster, spokeswoman for the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office.

In Louisiana, if the defendant is at least 19 years of age and the other person is under the age of 17, the defendant could be charged with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Laws on the matter vary from state-to-state.

Jamie Lynn says she plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana so it can, as she puts it, "have a normal family life."

http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=7521484&nav=8H3x

[Moloch]

14. Who cares?

I don't see how this belongs on a political message site.

[rurallib]

19. I don't really care but with th RW making such a noise about sex

anything sexual is bad - I was just wondering if this story of a celebrity will roil their blood to throw the book at the kid, or since it is one of theirs they will hide it? That's all ,the old hypocrasy question.

[tabasco]

20. There are legal questions.

It's perfectly on-topic.

[Canuckistanian]

21. Evolution-wise, this is becoming the norm

Apparently, women are getting fertile at a much earlier stage, despite our collective moral outrage.