ok first of all this girl was at a party with him and told everyone there she was 17 yes that is still illegal but its not as bad. if her parents can let her run around and do what she wants they should not press charges when she knowingly does something stupid. shes as guilty as he is, and so are her parents. 14 year old girls should not be running around town at parties. watch ur kids! be their parent not their friend.

okay once again werent they taught 15 will get 20,no excuses even if she was the one who wanted to engage in a sexual act,which my understanding is that she did not iniate this situation,he should have said NO NO NO NO. this is a child no matter how you look at it and he needs to be held accountable for his actions, and this little girl needs to be taken to counseling,and taught more about sexual eduacation,and that this man was wrong for what he did even if she said yes,this little girl is 14 she has a mind of a child still, an she need not be crusified for her actions whether some people like it or not.and to mr. saunders you should be ashamed of yourself for what you did to this child, and punished.

I am back to tell it how it is.first of all I am tired of someone deleting my comments for sticking up for my cousin. For everybody who is trying to judge him for this you have no right to because you dont even know the whole story you only know her side. I am speaking as someone who has known him his whole life I know he did not do that knowing she was only 14 so why label him for not knowing. If anyone is to blame it is not just him it is her too and her parents if they were real parents they would have had the number and address to where she was supposed to be that is coming from someone who is also a mother.What was she doing hanging out with adults and drinking as far as I know 14 is not a legal age to drink either so how was he supposed to know how old she was.

What I want to know is why the newspaper decided it's OK to print personal information about this kid. Yes, I said "kid", because everyone knows that at the age of 18 you're still a kid regardless of what the law says. I love the double standard that we're holding 18-20 year olds to. You can fight for your country and die, sign a legal contract and be bound by it, commit a crime and go to prison for the rest of your life, or mess up your life in any number of ways at the ages of 18-20, but you're not completely an adult yet. You're not allowed to even drink a beer.

I know when I was 18 I met quite a few girls out there that lied about their ages, and 9 times out of 10 I couldn't tell the difference. Was he supposed to check her ID? I guess that wouldn't have mattered much either, because she could've had a fake, and he's still in the wrong in that case.

Every single part of this story is from the accuser, and not the accused. I guess he doesn't get the right to defend himself. I guess this newspaper just decided to print whatever sells and not something that actually informs in a unbiased way. Everyone just reads the story and forms their opinion without knowing the facts. Nice to see the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty is still alive and well in this country and that myself and my brothers-in-arms are risking their lives and dying for all of you to trample on the rights of another American.

I hope to God that none of the people on here deciding his innocence already are on his jury, because he definitely wouldn't get a fair trial.

Any parents out there wonder what their kids did at age 14? I know my parents knew where I was at all times. Where were her parents during this? Sitting back knowing she was out hanging out with an 18 year old guy? Do kids sneak off and do stuff yes but shes 14 she cant drive...Her parent ask her where she went when she left the house? Probably not the parents are just as fail as their weak minded, low self esteem kid and should be held partially responsible.

Personally, I think it kinda is her fault, she had no business whatsoever to be hanging out with this adult. She put herself in that situation, completely, not only that if he kept repeatedly asking her to have sex she should have been persistant and said no and left the room..

I don't know what degree of mature and sensible behavior society should expect from a typical 19 year old. Trying to set a black or white standard based on absolute age will never stand the test of reason. There are efforts to consider age differential in such matters to prevent labeling an 18 year old a life-long sexual predictor for having sex with his 17 year old girlfriend.

As that website indicates, every culture in the world has such laws, even though they disagree on age. The greater principle is, adults have a responsibility to protect children. That's older than any law.

It doesn't happen often, but I agree with "the kid"'s post... Bear with me while I explain... My gal and I have been together for 9 years. she is 48, I am 42...6 years age difference, no big deal. When she was 38, I was 32...no big deal. When she was 28, I was 22...no big deal(actually really kinda cool). If she was 18 I would have been 12(does anyone here see where I am going with this?). Somewhere in there a level of maturity developes, but it d**n well isn't at 12 or 14 years old! Age and maturity are relevent to this situation, 6 years difference at fortysomething is so much different than 6 years difference in your teens. One of these two needed to take the higher ground on this and be the mature and sensible one...who do you think should have been that one?

just to clarify something on my last comment I was using 6 or 7 as an example

We have kids being caught in middle school performing sexual acts and kids having kids. There are children as young as 12 having sex on a regular basis. No they might not be legally of age to consent but consentual sex goes on all the time and sometimes the parents know and don't care. These kids also are doing the friends with benefits thing, thinking nothing of the consequences and responsibilities that come with having a sexual relationship.

I have even heard people say that their 9 and 10 year old child has a boyfriend / girlfriend and they let them go out to do things and go to the other's house. Hello?? Plus factor in the peer pressure that kids get from other kids about how they should have a boyfriend / girlfriend and how they are losers if they don't.

THis happens in our OWN country. Amish girls are pulled from school after the eighth grade and are begun being primed for the role of a wife. A mind has no concept of what is exceptible with their own bodies at the age of 16 let alone 12.

I would have no idea on what pedophiles plan or the intended purpose of that website. I just thought it was germane to the discussion to understand how other U.S. states and cultures view the criminalization of sex. I was shocked that some countries consider a 12 year old to be an "adult"!

Naughty Girl! This child should have never been with ADULT men in the first place. I am not saying it is her fault, but most boys that age don't always think with their mind and too many young girls thing it is the coolest when an older boy thinks they are "hot". Just because he is over 18 and considered an adult, the mind is still not fully cognitively developed in my opinion, and where se* is concerned, all logic flies out the window.

rep_of_1, no worries, its cool. I shouldn't have written the statement as I did in the first place, being it was opinion and observation rather than provable fact.

Yes at 14 it may be illegal altogether to have sex, but I know many people(kids) that are already parents at this age. I don't know this girl or anyone else in this case. I am just curious why she was with these "older" guys alone? What was she doing in that situation?

JimPi Sorry to have to call that out but so many take a hill and make it into a mountain. There is little room left for the facts in cases in he said, she said. I have seen the first hand damage that happens in these cases when the truth doesn't come up and some ones life is destroyed. Once your convicted even if you come up with information later that proves beyond a doubt that you are innocent there is nothing can give you your life back once the damage is done.

CallitasIseei:"as well" refers to what you dished to me as I'm going to dish it right back. Keep accusing with out knowing me or anything about me. Makes you a great member of society doesn it? Feel free to keep up the accusations. They are just that accusations.

rep_of_1, I've worked several cases involving child porn, child sex assault, and related offenses. In many, many cases, that site was referenced by the suspect. But, let me rephrase my statement, for clarification if nothing else.

In my opinion, the site serves little purpose other than to be a guide for pedophiles in planning "vacations" to countries a little more conducive to their interests. While that might not have been the original intent in creating the site, I've no doubt the owners of the site are aware of this and still feel the need to have the site be active.

"hitting home to you as well?" It isn't hitting home to me, but your "as well" proves my point implicitly. And I did jump to the conclusion of his guilt. If he didn't have sex with her then he should be found innocent. If he did he should pay his debt to society.

JimPi do you have a source that backs what you wrote below quoted or are you speculating?

"3) You do realize that page was set up to help advise potential pedophiles in the US with arranging trips to other countries so as to legally satisfy their desires, right?"

fool_on_the_hill, a couple of observations about that link you posted on the different ages of consent around the world.

1) You'll notice that none of the countries listed show the female being older than the male, in terms of age of consent. The age of consent is either the same for both genders or the male's age of consent is a year or two younger. I believe this goes to my maturity argument in my previous post.

2) While it is interesting that Chile allows children as young as 12 to legally have sex, we aren't living in Chile.

3) You do realize that page was set up to help advise potential pedophiles in the US with arranging trips to other countries so as to legally satisfy their desires, right?

How many times are you going to call this rape? Where is the word rape in this story?
At what point do you stop convicting someone guilty till proven innocent and let the courts do their job? Are you that self righteous or is this hitting home to you as well?

Here's why the age difference matters in cases like this. Typically, there is a fairly wide gulf in maturity levels between a 19 year old male and a 14 year old female. Now, that's only a five year difference. Down the road a ways, that five years has almost no impact on a relationship. Let's say the guy is 35 and the girl is 30. Not a lot of difference between the two when it comes to maturity. But, at the ages we're discussing here, there's a huge difference.

It has been brought up a few times now about how if this had happened 20-30 years ago, it wouldn't even be a news story. You're probably right about that. Unfortunately, that doesn't make what happened here ok. In this state, if he had sex with her, it was against the law. Doesn't matter if you agree with the law or not. If a guy (or gal) doesn't like the law, he or she is free to work to try changing it.

A 14 year old doesn't have the legal right to consent to sex. How frisky they are feeling at that given time is of no matter.

It has also been brought up that it probably would be looked upon differently were the genders reversed and it was a 19 year old woman sleeping with a 14 year old boy. I'd agree with that but I think that's starting to change. Used to be, the perception would be to see the boy has being some kind of "stud" for having pulled that off. But, over the last several years with all the stories of teen boys sleeping with their teachers, that perception is starting to fade.

Male or female, the vast majority of young teens lack the maturity to have a healthy sexual relationship with anyone. There is, or should be at least, a lot more to it than the sexual act itself.

rep of 1-You should go to Chile, the age is 12, you would fit in perfect!

You keep trying to justify yourself. So what if it was the 70's or 80's, the statutory rape laws were on the books then. and yes, if the boy was 14 it is still rape. There have been many cases in the news lately of women, especially teachers being jailed for that practice.

There was no "relationship" here.He found a victim, coerced her into having sex, committed a crime and will pay dearly for it.

footonthehill; thanks! Glad I'm not the only one who lives in a bubble.

Most Wisconsinites are very surprised to learn how the rest of the world views age of consent.

This website details the laws for all 50 states and most any foreign country one can imagine: http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent...

Of course she was pressured into having sex with this man, anyone who knows this person could say he was very persuasive. He didn't think with his best interest for himself or for the girl he only thought of what he wanted and what he needed, which was selfish. When its all said and done he will have a record, and he will most likely be considered a sexual predator.

Don't have sex with children!

I believe that age is not the determining factor in most relationships. Some people are not even ready for sex at 30 let alone 18. Some people are capable adults at a younger age than 18.
Would there be a case if the boy was 14 and the girls was 19? Especially in the 70's ad 80'?
You ran with this story to turning sexual assault of a child to rape. Using the term pedophile is a disqualification from a person capable of a relationship. Do you even understand the term?
How many more of your thoughts and words would you like to put in my mouth to prove your point?

"The hypocrisy of age in America again...had they been in an approved relationship would this have been a story?"
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"Blue21 you hit the nail on the head" (When answering Blue21's post)-You know, I'd love to see what happened to people like this back in the 70's and 80's. I doubt there were many charges like this back then...

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"I'm 8 years older than my wife so what are you trying to say age is the perfect maturity factor in all people?"

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I think this hit a little too close to home for you rep of 1 and you are defending your own prior actions. I am not the one who needs help.

Where in print did I say I approved your speculation...Get help.

I'm sick?? You are the one approving this 19 year old raping a 14 year old girl. My question to you is legitimate. Would you also approve of a 19 year old man with a 14 year old boy? I don't think either is right but I have the feeling you do.

CallitasIseeit: wrote" Are gay pedophiles OK with this age difference as well?" Sinking to this level is not normal thinking. What is going though your mind to think this way? You are sick, seek help.

Looking on the Wisconsin Court System website, Mr. Saunders also has been convicted of a Class F felony....I wonder what his probabtion officer will think about this?!?!?!?!

was just curios why my message was erased what ever happened to freedom of speech apparently some people cant handle the truth i will no longer be subscribing or purchasing this one sided no fact having paper

wilson, you make a good point, but, you're forgetting one thing. Your cousin put himself in a vulnerable position in the first place. Perhaps he didn't do what he's accused of doing, but, he was stupid enough to be in the same house with minors! So, he is at least guilty of using very poor judgement!

Grotham..very good post. I think it can change if people change. The man isn't respected in the way he should be and that's due to the fault of "man". Society has been desensitized as to the purpose of a man. Again, this is where character comes into play. We have too many "men" in our culture who don't act like men! Let's face it. Real men don't lie, cheat, steal, cheat on their wives and use their sexual encounters as a means to keep score and base their manhood on. People laugh at that stuff but, it's the truth. Money, sexual prowess, looks, muscles...all those things don't define a true man, yet, our mainstream culture has been misguided into believing it does. A man is defined by his commitment to character! Being a good husband, father and friend for starters. Serving others with an open heart and making a difference. Standing for what's right even when the odds are against him. It's all about LEADING. The question is, what are the men in our culture leading about? I call it moral authority and it's something that's so lacking in our communities. It starts with the individual!

First of all I would like say he was 18 when it happened and its nice to only hear the females side of the story a month after it happened. Oh did the report forget to mention all of that? Do I agree that it was messed up yes but at the same time I know I was under pressure to do things that I didnt want to do when I was younger. And I can say till this day that I have never been pressured into doing something like drugs or sleeping with someone that wasnt permitted by law or anything on that level that I could have gotten in trouble for. Its nice to see these weak minded people trying to use their age to get back at people. She mad he didnt call her back? Get used to it guys sleep with woman and dont call them back its called reality. Or did mommy and daddy find out because you cant keep your business to yourself. The woman is always right and the man is always wrong. Its a messed up world but it will never change.

The article reads he "repeatedly asked her to have sex". It sounds like coercion,he pressured her into it. Lock him up.

So rep of one, were you 21 and your wife 13 when you started "dating". Anyone who feels it OK for a high school grad to date a girl in junior high has some serious problems. Fourteen year olds may be physically mature but not mentally ready for sex. Are gay pedophiles OK with this age difference as well?

Blue..there was a heck of alot more accountability back then! Unlike today, everybody seems to have their own version of right and wrong. Right is what works for them. Wrong is whatever doesn't fit into their agenda. It's called self serving......which really is WRONG.

Blue21 you hit the nail on the head.

You know, I'd love to see what happened to people like this back in the 70's and 80's. I doubt there were many charges like this back then...

Can a 14 year old verbaly say I want to have sex yes....can a 14 your old leagaly say I want to have sex - no.

Hes 19, for all the commenters who think its ok, when you were 19 would you have hopped in to bed with a 14 year old??

at 14 she can consent to sex but she probably has no idea what shes REALLY consenting to. thats why age matters at this level.

trojan~ so that gives the 19 year old the green light to violate the law? When I was 14 I had the urge to sit in a bar and drink so I could look cool for everyone....the bars knew the rules and wouldn't allow it..just as this 19 year old adult should've done as well. 14 years old is called adolescent for a reason. Most 14 year olds have no clue how to make their own beds or clean their own rooms muchless engage in sexual activity!

At age 14 your hormones can totally be running wild and you can totally be in the mood (I'm substituting for a different word) for sex. At age 14 you CAN consent to sex.

CallitasIseeit: Age is not so far off for a husband and wife in Mexico. I'm sure other countries as well. I'm 8 years older than my wife so what are you trying to say age is the perfect maturity factor in all people?

Rep of 1-What??!! He is 19 and she is 14. There is no consensual sex possible here. This isn't the hills of Kentucky in the early 20th century.

unknown~ You're right. I'll take that one step further. What part about the golden rule, "do unto others as you would have done unto you" don't people understand? We have a set of 10 rules handed down from God himself. Whether people believe in God or not is totally their choice, however, it doesn't make those 10 principles any less valuable to live by. People are imperfect and NO PERSON on their own is capable of holding themselves 100% accountable for everything they do, and that's understandable... however, living by those ten guidelines gives people a solid foundation to accomplish that accountability factor much more efficiently!

The hypocrisy of age in America again...had they been in an approved relationship would this have been a story? Or did mom and dad freak out when she brought home the young man? So many questions left unanswered here with so little facts in the print...Juicy attention grabber story.

what was a 14 year old doing hanging out with a 19 year old