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Come on, this doesn't creep you out at least a little? | Source: Shutterstock
A 32-year-old guy in Ohio named Jeremy Bowlin had sex with a minor. That’s statutory rape. The girl was 16. That’s half his age. Bowlin was looking at about 10 years in prison, but plead down to one count of “unlawful sexual conduct” and got 10 weekends. That’s 20 days. That’s a pretty big difference, isn’t it?
To his credit, Bowlin had no prior criminal history (though that simply could mean he’d never gotten caught boning minors before), so that likely played a role in his sentencing as well. But bear in mind that despite Bowlin now being registered as a sex offender, which is pretty serious, the court didn’t find it serious enough to warrant weekdays in jail? Dude, seriously? Bowlin also had to pay a $400 fine and was ordered by the judge to have no contact with the victim, nor with anyone under 18–except his niece, who is a minor, and only when her parents are with her.
To a lot of people, Bowlin’s punishment seems pretty fair. We would almost agree with that, but then his lawyer fired off a remark that showed that he and likely his client are missing the point of all of this. Bowlin’s attorney, John Helbling, told the judge, “This particular individual came of her own free will, to hang out with Mr. Bowlin.”
So because a minor used poor judgment and came to hang out with a guy twice her age, it absolves him from the fact that he knowingly and deliberately broke the law? If you willingly wear a miniskirt and go to a guy’s house, is it okay for him to force himself on you? Of course not. In the same vein, even if the girl went to Bowlin’s house to hang out on her own free will, and even if whatever sexual contact Bowlin had with this minor was consensual, it’s still illegal in their state of Ohio. It’s still wrong. And, frankly, it’s still creepy that a guy would pursue a minor literally half his age so nonchalantly.
So many of you are so smart and more than capable of making your own decisions, but older guys have tricks they often use to manipulate younger girls–you may think they’re more mature and sophisticated than guys your age, right? But here’s the thing: if they really were so great, they would either find and have a girlfriend their own age or be mature and responsible enough to wait until you were the legal age of consent before pursuing any kind of relationship with you, period.
The fact that he and his attorney can’t seem to wrap their heads around that fact enough to take responsibility for his role in a crime makes him sound even more dangerous to us–if he doesn’t see why what he did was wrong, he’ll probably do it again. The only good thing about Bowlin’s bizarre sentencing? He’d only have time to “hang out” with minors on school nights.
Do you think statutory rape should be a crime? Do you think Scott Bowlin’s sentencing is fair? Do you think it should have been more harsh or more lenient? Have you ever been hit on by a creepy old guy? Tell us in the comments!
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This article makes me sick. First off – THEY NEVER HAD SEX!!! There was a rape kit done, that whore had sex that night, with SOMEONE ELSE. How the heck do you think the courts were able to lower the charges from Rape to Sexual Mis-conduct????
If you google her name….. she is a whore and has been a whore since she hit puberty… she even blogs about being with an older married man at the age of 13….. little Ms. Strangarity – ruined someone’s life…. Cierra lied about the whole thing to cover up the fact that she had been out drinking and running the trailer park like an animal in heat….
Did you think that maybe he only had to serve weekend time because prior to this he was an OUTSTANDING CITIZEN?? And the little comment about who knows how long he has been boning minors…. NEVER…. prior to this Jeremy was in a long term relationship for 6 years….
Since I was 13 till now (I’m 16), I been talking to guys 20-25 once even a 35 year old. Right now, I’m talking to a 24 year old and we’re friends with benefits I never had sex with any of them but I had a sort of romatic friendship with them. If we did have sex I wouldn’t be a rape victim in my eyes. Maybe I’d be scarred but not because of their age but because I’m simply not ready and I’ve never been rushed into anything. The only negative is they’re in college, driving, working, living alone, etc and I still live with my parents. Age is just a number and women have been FORCED into bed with guys twice their age in the past
Guys! Statutory rape is not actually rape. Any sexual acts someone who’s an adult commits with a minor, even if it’s consensual, is considered rape according to the law. This girl willingly had sex with him. This was not rape because, lets face it, most girls by the age of 16 are going to have sex. Its a fact. She knew was she was doing. I understand where she’s coming from too, i find older men sexy. Even though it may be a little creepy that he’s the age he is, most girls have matured physically by 16, so i don’t blame him. He’s not a monster, or a rapist. I don’t think we should condemn two people in their right minds doing what nature intended.
it was STATUTORY RAPE, no one forced. Lindsay, Noblesse Oblige, nd Olivia, like really the girl WILLINGLY had sex with him. he didnt force her. it would be nice if you learned the difference no offense
Look if a girl doesn’t want to have sex I’m pretty sure that she doesn’t want to have sex. Same with guys. No matter how many tricks a guy or girl to convince somebody to get with them, unless the person at least sorta wants it then it will NEVER HAPPEN. Also no offense but lindsay and noblesse it was statutory rape not actual imma kidnap you rape so dont even go about that mentally scarring moment, because let us face it GIRLS HAVE SEX WHEN THEY ARE 16. I am all for abstinence but if a girl wants to have sex with a man she “loves” I can’t really stop them. Also about breaking the law kind of thing, well let us look at the laws we broke including traffic infringements, drugs, etc. Personally I believe that an actual consensual sex with two people in their right minds should be completely legal, and in that case I think we can safely say that both parties knew what they were getting into. (btw if the girl did report the guy for statutory rape it was probably after he dumped her for some reason and she was just mad at him and now he has to live with this disgusting reputation that he really doesn’t deserve)
I can’t even explain how angry it makes me when I read stories like this. The survivor is faulted for surviving, but why!? It’s not the victim’s fault for being violated, it’s the rapist’s fault for being a psychotic pervert! No one asks to be raped…it’s time society realized that and started being more concerned with putting these sickos away than whether or not the victim was wearing a red shirt or a blue one.
When I was in high school, I dated someone older than me. When we had sex, it was legally statutory rape. Neither of us cared, but all of our friends, parents, etc looked down at us, said nasty things, and generally made us feel dirty and unwelcome. We’re no longer together (we broke up amicably), but the most damaging part of that relationship was everyone else forcing their opinions on us. Long story short, don’t be so quick to judge. It may seem sick to you, but this poor girl may be more traumatized by your judgemental remarks than what happened with Bowlin.
Wtf is wrong with our world????
Yeah, I’m pissed. Like Lindsay said, rapists need to understand that the person they raped will NEVER forget that traumatizing moment. And he easily gets to spend 20 days in the slammer and get on with his life while the girl who was RAPED has to live with that for the rest of her life. No. That’s not okay.
AGREED!!! I’ve been raped. I can’t imagine this scar ever letting go. (P.S. I was 11) I cannot even emphasize or put into words how horrible it is. Blessings go to all the other girls who can feel my pain.
Ridiculous! Rapists need to understand what they did mentally scarred the victim for life and how wrong it is. I feel like a lot of people can’t grasp that.