Coach who had sex with students gets jail. Judge notes girls can be "a little aggressive sexually"

[Bozita]

http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2009/11/24/news/srv0000006910361.txt

Coach who had sex with students gets year in jail
Published: Tuesday, November 24, 2009

By Jameson Cook, Macomb Daily Staff Writer



Noting teenage girls can be "a little aggressive" sexually, a judge Monday sentenced a 28-year-old former basketball and baseball coach to one year in jail for sexual contact with two New Haven High School students.

Circuit Judge Matthew Switalski punished Darryl A. Peterson below the sentencing guideline range of three years to 71 months in prison by giving him five years probation with the first year in the Macomb County Jail.

"It's indefensible what you did," Switalski told Peterson moments before issuing the sentence. "(But) I've seen in other cases and this case, the girls are a little aggressive nowadays, these teenage girls.

Switalski noted the girls "were the age of consent," 16 years old and 17 years old. Peterson violated the law because he was in a teaching position, even though they weren't his own students. He coached boys junior varsity basketball and baseball.

more...

[Tiggeroshii]

1. Huh. That doesn't exactly sound all that fair actually...

Although it is debatable -legal or not, whether he actually deserves prison time for having sex with a buncha 16 17 yos

[LadyAnnaofATX]

2. see, sexism doesn't exist in our legal system..!

just kidding. how outrageous.

[Cleita]

3. Maybe he and Polanski can share a cell and memories of

f***ing young girls. The idiot should know better even if age inappropriateness of it isn't illegal in this instance, anyone in a position of authority over others shouldn't have relationships with them until that position is no longer an issue.

[MineralMan]

4. Coach is a moron!

Probably scared of adult women, too, as are many men. Teenies seemed safer to him, and didn't have the experience to know that he's a creep.

If you're a teacher, you can't fool around with kids who are students. Age of consent or not. If you're 28, and are still messing around with teenagers, you're not grown up enough to be a teacher.

[rantormusing]

8. question

Sexist much?

[MineralMan]

9. I beg your pardon...could you explain that?

[DiverDave]

29. Scared of adult women?

WTF am I supposed to be scared of? I and most guys I know aren't afraid of women...

Next time lets not paint with such a broad brush mkay?

[MineralMan]

36. That's funny. You don't know men who are scared of women?

I do. I went after 16 and 17 year old girls when I was in high school. When I was 28, I pursued women my own age. I can't imagine why I would have been interested in high school girls when I was almost 30. I stand by my analysis.

[Boojatta]

30. Should it be legal for a school to hire a 28-year-old coach who has a 19-year-old wife?

Is he grown up enough to be messing around with a 17-year-old? Maybe he could focus on just 16-year-olds in future.

[jaysunb]

5. Good for the Judge

showing some common sense.

And before the flames begin, I'm the father of two adult daughters and one college age granddaughter.

[Gwendolyn]

6. As is often the case, the sex offender status after his prison sentence is overkill.

But everything the article quoted the judge as saying seems on the money.

[reflection]

7. I'm glad the coach will see the inside of a jail.

The judge was right, though. Teenage girls can be sexually aggressive. So can teenage boys. We live in a highly sexualized society. Nothing new or extraordinary here.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. "We live in a highly sexualized society"

We are also about the only creatures on the planet which reach sexual maturity and then don't have sex for years.

[reflection]

18. How's that?

Don't shoot - I honestly don't understand what you're saying. We sexually mature between 18-35 (depending on many variables), but who's not having sex for years during this timeframe? :shrug:

[FiveGoodMen]

20. We sexually mature at puberty

[reflection]

22. Ah, I see.

And I concede the point. I was thinking "sexually peak", when you used the term "sexually mature", and you're right, we sexually mature at puberty. Apologies.

[FiveGoodMen]

23. Cool.

I'm not saying it would be great for all the 13/14 year-olds to start getting busy.

Just that we're working against our basic natures in a big way when it comes to sex.

[4_TN_TITANS]

37. Excellent point...

one doesn't have to go back too many years to notice how acceptable ages for sexual activity just keep moving beyond the biology already in place. The optimum is for kids to wait awhile after puberty for mental maturity to come into play, but how often does that not happen?

[Sabriel]

10. Some of them like to drink a lot, too.

That's part of teen society today, too. But that doesn't mean teachers/coaches should be buying drinks for underage students.

Geeeeez. It's people like this who give educators and mentors a horrible name.

[rubberducky]

11. So, was the judge also pronouncing judgement on the girls?? Did his comments add anything beyond

stereotyping these young ladies? If a teacher cannot control themselves around young people, they should NOT be in that job. PERIOD. Again we see it`s fine to blame the victims.

[Gwendolyn]

12. No, he was simply acknowledging a sometimes truth, and probably a factor in this case.

He also said it was no excuse and sentenced the man to jail.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

13. I don't disagree, hands off! - but it isn't unlikely to be the truth

I have been pursued by a number of extremely young women, not interested and can't imagine what they would see in a thirty-something geezer like me, but it happens and aggressive can be an understatement.

[rubberducky]

14. My point is you knew better. The coach should have to.

[omega minimo]

16. Give that judge a penis pump. It might help him with his judgments. Relieve him of his blind spots.

[Romulox]

17. Those girls are lucky!

:sarcasm:

[Lance_Boyle]

41. No kidding! It's just a shame the coach wasn't too pretty for jail.

I wonder what mental illness caused him to do this shocking thing?

[Dr. Strange]

19. Marginally off-topic, but I don't like laws like this.

Sex with 16-17 years should either be legal or illegal--it shouldn't depend on your job status or title.

[Xithras]

24. I have to agree. I don't understand why it's illegal either.

As an example: I'm a prof at a small college. If I sleep with one of my students, all of whom are of legal age, I can be fired. Why? Because sleeping with one of your students is forbidden. It's an abuse of authority and can lead to sexual abuse, favoritism, grade inflation, and a number of other problems. If I did it, I'll never get another teaching job again.

On the other hand, if I walk out into the quad, pick up some random student who isn't one of my classes, and sleep with HER...nothing will happen (except perhaps for some disapproving muttering from the busybodies).

The difference is my position of authority. It's perfectly OK for me to sleep with students at the college who are of legal age IF I do not have a position of authority over them. Once I do, any sexual acts are potentially abusive to both the school and the student.

I've never understood why high schools don't operate the same way. Either a person has reached the age of consent or they haven't. If they have, and a trust is violated, it merely demonstrates an unfitness for that job. Fire them. End their teaching career. But prison? That's just overkill.

[JVS]

40. Agreed

[Lex]

21. girls are also the only ones who can get pregnant

too, if the judge is ticking off interesting freaking facts for all to hear . . .

[Boojatta]

26. Women can no longer get pregnant? Why wasn't I informed?

[Lex]

27. Are you intentionally stupid? These were 16 & 17 year olds in the case. nt

[lukasahero]

38. "Are you intentionally stupid?"

Did you really have to ask? ;)

[gaspee]

25. Men who prey

on underage girls are skeevy. There's an awful lot of rationalization for reprehensible behavior in this thread. But I guess since the judge declared they were asking for it, it's all good. Almost 30 year old teachers who fuck students should go to jail.

[Gwendolyn]

28. The judge didn't say they were asking for it.

He even said he speaks as a parent when he denounced the guy's actions.

But if you read the article, then you also read the part where both girls said it was consensual and one of the girls pleaded with the judge not to give him jail time. So, you have no idea in what context the remarks were made. Perhaps they both told the judge they came onto their coach. You have no idea. When I was seventeen and just broken up with my high school beloved, I totally went after a 26-year-old I fancied. It was my completely choice and didn't give two poops what the nanny church ladies would've thought. It happens.

[gaspee]

33. Yeah well

Kids are stupid and do stupid shit that's likely to cause them harm - which is why they can't sign contracts, join the military, vote or any other things that take maturity. It doesn't matter what they wanted - he's the adult and he's a skeeve for sleeping with them. As is any adult man (or woman) who sleeps with teenagers.

[Gwendolyn]

35. That's another topic. I was responding to your comment about the judge.

We all know the media likes to fashion sensational headlines out of nothing. It's usually worthwhile to read further.

[Iggo]

31. It's okay, see, because the chicks were really hot.

[meow2u3]

32. The judge acts as if teen boys were not sexually aggressive

I know by experience that boys are just as, if not more, aggressive sexually than are girls.

[Scout]

34. oh, those evil, aggressive teenage girls! they made his dick hard, what could he do? n/t

[Tim01]

39. The high school girls here are having a contest

to see who can sleep with the most business owners down town.
It is a dangerous time for adult males in some places.

[Generic Other]

42. While I do not in any way condone the coach's behavior

I have to wonder why one girl asked that he not be prosecuted, yet DA charges him on her behalf. Seriously, if even the victim is conflicted as to whether the man should be prosecuted, the judge should have to take that into account.

Nevertheless, the guy is abusing his position and has clearly signed a contract that specifically prohibits such behavior. The fact that he bought the girls cigarettes, alcohol, and rented a hotel room for illicit purposes means he knowingly violated his contract. This is an employment issue (if he signed a contract as a stipulation of employment, he's clearly guilty and should be fired) and a legal one (whether the law in the state of Georgia says the girls could give consent which it appears that they can). Very strange situation.

Maybe this should have remained a civil matter, or the laws should be changed to outlaw sex with a minor for anyone who is more than a few years older as is the case in other states such as mine where the partner can't be older than 60 months.

Also, I noticed that in some states, the laws regarding the legal age of marriage seem to be in conflict with the age of consent laws. If you are pregnant and underage you can marry in a lot of states, but presumably if your intended is over 18, he could also be prosecuted. I wonder how often that happens?

A law on the books in Georgia:
16-6-18. Fornication.

An unmarried person commits the offense of fornication when he voluntarily has sexual intercourse with another person and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as for a misdemeanor.

http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm

http://www.coolnurse.com/marriage_laws.htm