Tuesday, September 20, 2011

People v. Moses (Cal. Ct. App. - Sept. 20, 2011)

First of all, Moses, what are you doing hanging out on MySpace and a web site called "Vampire Freaks" anyway?  You're 23 years old, for goodness sake.  Time to move out of your parents' basement, get a good (or at least real) job, and start visiting slightly more sophisticated web site.  The California Appellate Report, for example.  May help keep you out of trouble.

Second of all, yes, I know, she says she's 18, but when you met her at the library near her home, you knew she looked younger than that.  Yes, yes, I know.  She said that "baby faces run in [her] family."  But there's a big, big difference between a 13-year old -- which is what she is -- and an 18-year old.  Something I'd hope you'd know, having (hopefully) been with some more age-appropriate women in the past.

Third of all, what were you thinking taking pictures of the two of you together engaged in intimate activity in the back seat of your car?!  First off, you shouldn't have been doing it.  She's 13.  Second, why preserve for the prosecutor indisputable evidence of your crime?  Third:  Gross.  Finally, you seriously can't come up with a more intimate place than the back seat of your car?  Twice?  How romantic:  Oral sex in the back seat of a car with a 13-year old while you take pictures.  Lovely.

I'm not even going to mention your inability to maintain an erection when you tried to have sex with her.

I know it's all consensual.  But she's 13, Moses.  I don't care how "mature" of a 13-year old, or how she told you she was 18 (which she admittedly did).  She's 13.  You should know that.  Deep down, you did; and the jury so found.  Which is why your sentence is pretty darn severe.

Don't think Moses is the only one who needs to rethink his life.  C.C.:  Come on.  Creating a MySpace page that says you're 18 and telling 23-olds you're legal so you can give them a blowjob and try to have sex with them?  You can do better.  And Vampire Freaks?  Seriously.  Even at 13, that's just silly.  (Of course, as I type this, I note that the Vampire Freaks site has over 1.5 million members.  Including over three thousand members online right now.  Which perhaps explains part of why I fear for our nation's youth.)

Parents of C.C.:  I know.  You don't expect your thirteen-year old daughter to be doing this stuff.  I get it.  I have a ten-year old daughter myself.  But if she starts a MySpace profile and hangs out at Vampire Freaks, you can be darn sure I'll be having a serious talk with her.

Especially after reading this case.