Nik lives in Essex, UK and works in London as the editor of MacUser magazine. The posts and comments on this site do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions of values of his employers.
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I did 300 sit-ups at the gym this evening, which is a personal record.
Elsewhere in the world, the media seems to have gone potty over this stupid 12-year old girl who chatted to a 31-year old ex-marine online. She told him she was 19, and he apparently believed her, which makes me wonder whether he ever saw a picture of her before he got on a plane and flew from Detroit to Amsterdam to Manchester, where they met and flew on to London then Paris.
Sydney Morning Herald calls him an ‘internet seducer’. CNN says he was arrested on suspicion of ‘child abduction’ and the BBC uses similar words.
Undoubtedly Toby Studabaker was foolish to say the least. In reality he was very stupid. The moment he met her he should have realised she was not 19, regardless of what she said, and had he turned around right there and then and walked away he would have done nothing wrong.
Or would he?
What is to say he wouldn’t have been accused of ‘grooming’ a minor - a term being used more and more in relation to interaction between adults and children online. Normally it’s entirely fair. Normally the grooming is real, and is a threat.
But what happens when the child claims to be 19 and the adult is drawn in? What happens when the child’s parents let it surf the net for 11 hours a day without supervision from a computer in the kitchen?
Wouldn’t they be as guilty of their child’s grooming as the accused?
He is under arrest, perhaps awaiting trial. She is back home with her parents, perhaps being told off but no doubt being largely welcomed with open arms.
And the parents? Well, I can’t imagine much will happen to them.
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6 Responses to “Who is to blame?”
Kristin, I would expect that kind of comment from the tabloid reading English who don’t seem to understand the concept of Innocent until guilty but your not from round here so the bug must have travelled across the water! Indeed, George Bush was on TV tonight doing the same thing when talking about the Guantanamo Bay prisoners as being all ‘very bad people’. So much for a fair trial George.
Lets not jump on tabloid bandwaggons just yet. The only sure fire thing so far is the fact that this girl has very inadequate parants who will no doubt get off scot free, whereas this Studabaker guy is ruined whatever happens at any subsequent trial.
• Posted at 11:53 pm on July 17th, 2003 by Kev.Hey, man, I just listen to the radio news. Don’t read tabloids, neither the English nor the Icelandic, so this was formed entirely on what I heard on the radio. Now, whether the radio news people read the British tabloids in an entirely different story.
A friend of mine had this idea of sterilizing everyone at the onset of puberty and only allowing people to be ‘replugged’ once they have proven themselves to be responsible individuals. Some people make me want to apply that idea to real life - at the very least it would make an interesting plot for a novel…
And George Bush is a twit.
• Posted at 12:32 pm on July 18th, 2003 by Krist.Ooh, and Innocent until proven guilty…it might be of interest to you, Kev, that I am currently typing up the history of law and legal practise for my stepfather, starting with the Icelandic sagas in the middle ages…or it might not…
• Posted at 12:38 pm on July 18th, 2003 by Krist.Thanks for that Kristin, always nice to read your comments :o)
• Posted at 7:53 pm on July 18th, 2003 by Kev.toby is innocent ,that girl was stupid to go wit him if she was going to make problems and send an innocent man to jail it is not his fault if he thaught she was really 19, there is people that look younger than they are you know.
• Posted at 5:40 pm on October 21st, 2003 by sean savage.
OK, first thing, I don’t believe the guy is telling the truth. I don’t believe that a 12 year old has the imagination and stamina to keep up that front of being 19 and going to college. He’s definitely lying.
Second, sit-ups aren’t good for your lower back, so be careful not to overexercise.
• Posted at 11:13 pm on July 17th, 2003 by Krist.