Perv schoolmaster Jeremy Forrest plans to teach in Thailand when he's released early from jail

[gk10002000]

He may plan to go back to Thailand, but isn't that up to theThai authorities? Wouldn't he need a proper certification letter from his local police department?

[Fab5BKK]

* He was a teacher (= in a position of trust),

* He breached this trust.

* He shouldn't be allowed to be a teacher anymore,

* If he wants to start a new life; 1st, he should learn new skills and find a new job (obviously with nothing to do with minors)

[LannaGuy]

She was only a few weeks short of 16,hardly pedophilia and to look at her you would easily think she was 19 , also she was hardly abducted as they were in love and she was in love with him,these things happen,I feel sorry for both of them

exactly, stupid and foolish, but haven't we all been at some point? it was CONSENSUAL and happens daily here (not that that condones it) good luck to them both

It is very complex, but the "statutory rape" label and the associated laws, means that she was not old enough to consent, so technically it wasn't consensual - even though it was actually that in terms of logic.

The problem is this, and I'm mainly saying this in regards to the calls for mutilation and lynching etc., is that you as an individual could be guilty of statutory rape, if the girl looks 18 y/o, and tells you she's 18 y/o, but she's actually fifteen-and-a-half. It would still be against the law, even though you had no intention of breaking laws.This is clearly a tough problem for police, yet we have to have legal ages and so there is no way around it really.

On the guy in the OP, he wasn't just some dizzy young guy who fell in love with a 15 y/o girl. He was her teacher, and his professional ethics should have made him behave differently, until she was a bit older, and when she was no longer his pupil, then they could have been together. They say true love can wait forever, well how about 12 months or so.

not condoning it at all and, yes, he was in a position of trust and betrayed that trust and went to jail. Yes he should have waited, what a fool

[stoli]

Shit happens. One of my best pals in school and our star athlete, returned to the school as a teacher. He had an affair with a student and was caught. It was consensual. I would never call him a pedophile.

Maybe you wouldn't, but our laws would. If he robbed a store, maybe you would not call him a thief either. Maybe I am missing your point. I had a friend that molested a small girl, and got caught for a third time. I had no idea. I call him a pedophile.

[Nick167]

INTERESTING, after reading all TV members postings about paedophilia etc in the last few page .......me thinks that the laws in Thailand should be changed. Anyone having sex with a thai local who is aged 30 and below, should be charged with paedophilia..........

[brewsterbudgen]

Shit happens. One of my best pals in school and our star athlete, returned to the school as a teacher. He had an affair with a student and was caught. It was consensual. I would never call him a pedophile.

Maybe you wouldn't, but our laws would. If he robbed a store, maybe you would not call him a thief either. Maybe I am missing your point. I had a friend that molested a small girl, and got caught for a third time. I had no idea. I call him a pedophile.

It would depend on the age of the "small girl"!

People really need to familiarise themselves with the definition of "pre-pubescent".

[zakk9]

Shit happens. One of my best pals in school and our star athlete, returned to the school as a teacher. He had an affair with a student and was caught. It was consensual. I would never call him a pedophile.

Maybe you wouldn't, but our laws would. If he robbed a store, maybe you would not call him a thief either. Maybe I am missing your point. I had a friend that molested a small girl, and got caught for a third time. I had no idea. I call him a pedophile.

It would depend on the age of the "small girl"!

People really need to familiarise themselves with the definition of "pre-pubescent".

pre-pubescent:

Adjective

prepubescent (comparative more prepubescent, superlative most prepubescent)

1. Before the age at which a person begins puberty.

Puberty:

On average, girls begin puberty at ages 10–11; boys at ages 11–12.^[1][2] Girls usually complete puberty by ages 15–17,^[2][3][4] while boys usually complete puberty by ages 16–17.^[2][3][5] The major landmark of puberty for females is menarche, the onset of menstruation, which occurs on average between ages 12–13.

[Ulysses G.]

Sorry, but in my world it's PAEDOPHILIA!

The problem is that your world is WRONG.

The clinical definition of Pedophilia:

Pedophilia or paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children, generally age 11 years or younger

[balo]

I dont think its pedophilia to be attracted to a 15 or 16 year old girl .But thats just my opinion of course. I would never go into a relationship with anyone that is 40 years younger than me anyway.

[FritsSikkink]

Shit happens. One of my best pals in school and our star athlete, returned to the school as a teacher. He had an affair with a student and was caught. It was consensual. I would never call him a pedophile.

Maybe you wouldn't, but our laws would. If he robbed a store, maybe you would not call him a thief either. Maybe I am missing your point. I had a friend that molested a small girl, and got caught for a third time. I had no idea. I call him a pedophile.

It would depend on the age of the "small girl"!

People really need to familiarise themselves with the definition of "pre-pubescent".

No, sick basterds should keep their hands from children and don't look for excuses.

[Godders]

This man, whatever you may think of him for exploiting the affections of an impressionable young student, is no pedophile. The girl was under age (just) but years into puberty. A pedophile is attracted only to pre-pubescent children.

[BigBadGeordie]

And

[BigBadGeordie]

You can debate terminology till the cows come home.

And to all of you who seek to justify this type of action, I say F€(k you, I am 57 years old and it never goes away.

[FritsSikkink]

The fact that this <deleted> is planning to teach again is enough reason the let him do the full strech on his prison sentence and not let him go early.

[KhunSteven]

Shit happens. One of my best pals in school and our star athlete, returned to the school as a teacher. He had an affair with a student and was caught. It was consensual. I would never call him a pedophile.

I agree, there is a sort of blank spot in the categorisation system for all this. The difference in maturity between a 15 or 16 year old child varies from person to person, and while this consensual sex may well be misguided and foolish, and exploited by the adult, it is not the same as what I consider 'paedophilia' which is the rape of a young child, often in organised groups, and often with a desire to inflict lasting fear and pain.

I think this particular case in the OP was treated differently because of the possible abduction angle, they ran away and so it was initially viewed as a possible abduction.

I do agree there needs to be more careful language used in describing these cases, the word 'paedophilia' occupies an enormous spectrum of crimes which range from misguided love affairs with 15 year olds, all the way to extremely well-organised rape/torture groups who target small children, often within orphanages / children's homes etc. The difference across the spectrum is so huge, great care needs to be taken when labelling people paedophiles.

I clicked on like this. I have one caveat though. It is not just about deflowering a consenting (if she understands consent in the same way as I do) 15 year old. He did abuse in many ways the trust people put in teachers and that is unforgivable.