LordofHats wrote:

I think to be an accessory you actually have to help. They didn't really help they just didn't stop it. Maybe someone else knows more but I'm not sure that's a crime.

 LordofHats wrote:

I mean a moral failure that they either ignored the rape when they saw it, or were too stupid to realize what was happening.

 LordofHats wrote:
There's 911.

 LordofHats wrote:
A lot of the witness' refused to testify until they were given immunity. That said, I'm not sure their utter stupidity qualifies as criminal. A moral failing yes, but under the law I'm unsure anything can be done.

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

If the two convicted took pictures, put them on Twitter and then others re-Tweeted them than that could open the door for prosecution (especially if she was under age at the time)

 dogma wrote:


I know, but what was any individual going to do in order to stop it from happening? Fight the two rapists, who are supposedly football standouts? If anything the choice to intercede would be supererogative.

 dogma wrote:
What if they appended "This is evidence of a horrible crime."?

Hypothetically its still child pornography, the reproduction of which still places the reproducer (re-Tweeter) at risk.

Hell, one could argue that an original image taken of the act, even for the sake of evidence, is CP.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

 dogma wrote:


I know, but what was any individual going to do in order to stop it from happening? Fight the two rapists, who are supposedly football standouts? If anything the choice to intercede would be supererogative.

Well, in group I don't think it should be too hard to take on two men in the middle of getting it on. ''Hey, those fethers x and y are raping a girl in the backyard, let's feth them up'' should be a good rallying cry.

Failing to get a posse together, I'd go with really sharp and pointy object applied gently to the lower back. Hoping that would sober them really fast.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

 dogma wrote:


I know, but what was any individual going to do in order to stop it from happening? Fight the two rapists, who are supposedly football standouts? If anything the choice to intercede would be supererogative.

Well, in group I don't think it should be too hard to take on two men in the middle of getting it on. ''Hey, those fethers x and y are raping a girl in the backyard, let's feth them up'' should be a good rallying cry.

Failing to get a posse together, I'd go with really sharp and pointy object applied gently to the lower back. Hoping that would sober them really fast.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

Well, in group I don't think it should be too hard to take on two men in the middle of getting it on. ''Hey, those fethers x and y are raping a girl in the backyard, let's feth them up'' should be a good rallying cry.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

Failing to get a posse together, I'd go with really sharp and pointy object applied gently to the lower back. Hoping that would sober them really fast.

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

I don't know what the age of consent is in Ohio but yes, if she was underage when that video was taken then anyone who re-Tweeted it is at risk of prosecution for both possession, and distribution of child pornography.

 dogma wrote:
Prosecution regarding CP does not rely upon the age of consent in a given state.

 dogma wrote:
But there is no way it was going to be as a group, and the admonishment of the victim shows that.

While that is an admirable sentiment it still places you at risk of prosecution, and "attempted murder" tends to see you tried as an adult.

 dogma wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

If the two convicted took pictures, put them on Twitter and then others re-Tweeted them than that could open the door for prosecution (especially if she was under age at the time)

What if they appended "This is evidence of a horrible crime."?

Hypothetically its still child pornography, the reproduction of which still places the reproducer (re-Tweeter) at risk.

Hell, one could argue that an original image taken of the act, even for the sake of evidence, is CP.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

 dogma wrote:


I know, but what was any individual going to do in order to stop it from happening? Fight the two rapists, who are supposedly football standouts? If anything the choice to intercede would be supererogative.

Well, in group I don't think it should be too hard to take on two men in the middle of getting it on. ''Hey, those fethers x and y are raping a girl in the backyard, let's feth them up'' should be a good rallying cry.

Failing to get a posse together, I'd go with really sharp and pointy object applied gently to the lower back. Hoping that would sober them really fast.

Relapse wrote:


There is no way I could stand by while that was going on and do nothing. Even if I got the living crap beaten out of me I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life thinking I could have done something that might have prevented what happened to that girl.

Relapse wrote:

There is no way I could stand by while that was going on and do nothing. Even if I got the living crap beaten out of me I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life thinking I could have done something that might have prevented what happened to that girl.

 kronk wrote:

Relapse wrote:

To my knowledge of similar cases, though, since they were convicted as juveniles their records get sealed and they pretty much can carry on as though nothing happened as far as the law is concerned.

Hadn't thought of that, Relapse.

Do they still have to register as Sex Offenders?

 xole wrote:

Relapse wrote:

There is no way I could stand by while that was going on and do nothing. Even if I got the living crap beaten out of me I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life thinking I could have done something that might have prevented what happened to that girl.

It's easy to claim what you would have done after the fact when you won't be tested.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

Relapse wrote:


There is no way I could stand by while that was going on and do nothing. Even if I got the living crap beaten out of me I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life thinking I could have done something that might have prevented what happened to that girl.

I think that's a healthy thing to tell yourself. I don't know if I'd be able to act on it. Self-preservation is a strong drive, but it's easy to set aside when we imagine how we would act. The other big element is if we would've easily discerned it was a rape. Depending on where you were went it began, you might have heard ''Hey, a threesome is happening in the backyard!'' If you don't go upclose, you might not see that the chick was passed out. She might have even seemed willing, but so far out that she couldn't give consent, and it would still be rape. The fact that everyone else is viewing it positively might influence you enough that you wouldn't even conceive that this was a rape.

I mean, there's a lot to know about to figure how you'd really react. But I think the intent to do so when you imagine the scene is the probably the best one possible.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

Relapse wrote:


There is no way I could stand by while that was going on and do nothing. Even if I got the living crap beaten out of me I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life thinking I could have done something that might have prevented what happened to that girl.

I think that's a healthy thing to tell yourself. I don't know if I'd be able to act on it. Self-preservation is a strong drive, but it's easy to set aside when we imagine how we would act. The other big element is if we would've easily discerned it was a rape. Depending on where you were went it began, you might have heard ''Hey, a threesome is happening in the backyard!'' If you don't go upclose, you might not see that the chick was passed out. She might have even seemed willing, but so far out that she couldn't give consent, and it would still be rape. The fact that everyone else is viewing it positively might influence you enough that you wouldn't even conceive that this was a rape.

I mean, there's a lot to know about to figure how you'd really react. But I think the intent to do so when you imagine the scene is the probably the best one possible.

 Frazzled wrote:

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

Relapse wrote:


There is no way I could stand by while that was going on and do nothing. Even if I got the living crap beaten out of me I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life thinking I could have done something that might have prevented what happened to that girl.

I think that's a healthy thing to tell yourself. I don't know if I'd be able to act on it. Self-preservation is a strong drive, but it's easy to set aside when we imagine how we would act. The other big element is if we would've easily discerned it was a rape. Depending on where you were went it began, you might have heard ''Hey, a threesome is happening in the backyard!'' If you don't go upclose, you might not see that the chick was passed out. She might have even seemed willing, but so far out that she couldn't give consent, and it would still be rape. The fact that everyone else is viewing it positively might influence you enough that you wouldn't even conceive that this was a rape.

I mean, there's a lot to know about to figure how you'd really react. But I think the intent to do so when you imagine the scene is the probably the best one possible.

Some of us HAVE acted, actually.

 Asherian Command wrote:
I hate rapists. But rapes usually happen in public and people do choose to do nothing. There are very few people that actually act and come to the rescue of someone because they are afraid.

Relapse wrote:

 Asherian Command wrote:
I hate rapists. But rapes usually happen in public and people do choose to do nothing. There are very few people that actually act and come to the rescue of someone because they are afraid.

I honestly don't think I know anyone who would just stand there and let something like that happen, and I think the better part of people here on Dakka wouldn't just stand there either.

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 dogma wrote:
Prosecution regarding CP does not rely upon the age of consent in a given state.

Ah, I see. I thought that the victim would have to be of consenting age for sex for it not to be CP. What age is it based off then?

Relapse wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

Relapse wrote:


There is no way I could stand by while that was going on and do nothing. Even if I got the living crap beaten out of me I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life thinking I could have done something that might have prevented what happened to that girl.

I think that's a healthy thing to tell yourself. I don't know if I'd be able to act on it. Self-preservation is a strong drive, but it's easy to set aside when we imagine how we would act. The other big element is if we would've easily discerned it was a rape. Depending on where you were went it began, you might have heard ''Hey, a threesome is happening in the backyard!'' If you don't go upclose, you might not see that the chick was passed out. She might have even seemed willing, but so far out that she couldn't give consent, and it would still be rape. The fact that everyone else is viewing it positively might influence you enough that you wouldn't even conceive that this was a rape.

I mean, there's a lot to know about to figure how you'd really react. But I think the intent to do so when you imagine the scene is the probably the best one possible.

Some of us HAVE acted, actually.

It'd be fun to be on your side in a situation. Seeing the Weiner wrath unleashed is a sight, I have been told, to make gods tremble.

 dogma wrote:
I was unclear. Age on consent is relevant to determining whether or not a person is a child, but the age of consent varies from state to state. As such, what would be child pornography in one state is not necessarily child pornography in another.

Speaking only to this case, the girl in question was 16 and therefore of consenting age in Ohio, but it could be argued that anyone viewing the hypothetical images in Arizona (where the age of consent is 18) was guilty of receiving child pornography under the laws of that state, and the federal government. Of course, you probably wouldn't be prosecuted if it was clearly not your intention to receive or disseminate CP, but the risk remains.

 dogma wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 dogma wrote:
Prosecution regarding CP does not rely upon the age of consent in a given state.

Ah, I see. I thought that the victim would have to be of consenting age for sex for it not to be CP. What age is it based off then?

I was unclear. Age on consent is relevant to determining whether or not a person is a child, but the age of consent varies from state to state. As such, what would be child pornography in one state is not necessarily child pornography in another.

Speaking only to this case, the girl in question was 16 and therefore of consenting age in Ohio, but it could be argued that anyone viewing the hypothetical images in Arizona (where the age of consent is 18) was guilty of receiving child pornography under the laws of that state, and the federal government. Of course, you probably wouldn't be prosecuted if it was clearly not your intention to receive or disseminate CP, but the risk remains.

 dogma wrote:
I know, but what was any individual going to do in order to stop it from happening? Fight the two rapists, who are supposedly football standouts? If anything the choice to intercede would be supererogative.

On paper, it sounds awfully familiar.

Two high school football players are accused of sexual assault. Their fellow students take to social media to defend the pair, taunting and blaming the victims. An athletic director brushes aside the allegations—along with separate hazing, felony robbery and assault charges against the school's athletes—as "not any different than any other community." Administrators are reluctant to immediately address the accusations and make it appear like a cover-up. The online hacktivist group Anonymous pledges to expose the truth and publicly shame those who engage in cyberbullying and victim-blaming.

Except this isn't Steubenville, Ohio—it's Torrington, Conn., where two 18-year-olds, Edgar Gonzalez and Joan Toribio, stand accused of second-degree sexual assault of two 13-year-old girls. The investigation has led to the arrest of a 17-year-old male for an alleged assault on one of the 13-year-old girls last fall, police say, and more arrests could be forthcoming.

Gonzalez and Toribio, who live in the same Torrington apartment complex, were arrested last month on the sexual assault charges stemming from separate incidents that occurred around the same time period in February, a Torrington police official said on Wednesday. Both pleaded not guilty.

The investigation is ongoing, Torrington police say, and more arrests could be forthcoming.

"It's very involved," Torrington Police Lt. Mike Emanuel told reporters on Wednesday. "It's very difficult to follow, even for us."

Joan Toribio and Edgar Gonzalez (Torrington Police)

The victims and their alleged attackers knew one another, Emanuel said. "The reason that this is a sexual assault is that there is more than a three-year age difference. That's what we have to keep in mind."

When asked if the sexual contact was consensual, Emanuel said, "Statutorily it is not consensual."

Gonzalez, who had already been facing felony robbery charges related to a March 2012 incident, is being held at a New Haven correction center. Toribio, who was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, was released on $100,000 bond and is being electronically monitored.

Sealed by a Litchfield court, the case had been kept under wraps by school officials until this week, when the Register Citizen reported that "dozens of athletes and Torrington High School students, male and female," taunted the victims on Twitter:

Students flocked to social media in the days surrounding the arrests of Gonzalez and Toribio, with several students offering support for the two football players and others blaming the victims for causing the incident. References included calling a 13-year-old who hangs around with 18-year-olds a “whore,” and claiming the victims “destroyed” the lives of the players.

"Even if it was all his fault," Mary J. Ramirez, whose Twitter handle is @LoryyRamirez, wrote, "what was a 13 year old girl doing hanging around 18 year old guys[?]"

“I wanna know why there’s no punishment for young hoes,” Twitter user @asmedick wrote, according to the paper.

Torrington school officials said on Wednesday that they would investigate the apparent cyberbullying.

"We’re doing everything we can to provide the safety [the alleged victims] need in schools,” Kenneth Traub, Torrington's Board of Education chairman, said on Wednesday.

Toribio and Gonzalez on the field last fall (Torrington High School/Facebook)

As was the case in Steubenville, Anonymous has gotten involved, launching "Operation Raider," a reference to the nickname of the Torrington High School football team.

“#OpRaider is the new #OpRollRedRoll," the group tweeted late Wednesday. "Torrington better take note of #Steubenville because they’re about to go on blast. #endrapeculture"

High school football takes on elevated importance in Torrington, a small town in northwest Connecticut. "Like Steubenville," Doug Barry wrote on Jezebel.com, the case in Connecticut "hinges in large part on the seemingly disproportionate influence a school’s football program has on the surrounding community."

Despite the felony robbery charges, Gonzalez was allowed to play football last fall.

“I reeled the kid in after that, and he walked the line," Dan Dunaj, Torrington's former head football coach, told the Register Citizen. "As a coach I was doing something right.”

Dunaj resigned in December amid an ongoing investigation into a hazing incident involving four football players last fall.

"If you think there's some wild band of athletes that are wandering around, then I think you're mistaken," Torrington High School Athletic Director Mike McKenna told the Register Citizen. "If you look at crime statistics, these things happen everywhere and we're not any different than any other community."

In an editorial published on Thursday, the Register Citizen blasted "the posture of denial and defensiveness" Torrington school officials have taken in response to the case:

The first step in recovering from this is admitting you have a problem. And after reading the social media accounts of average, "good" students at Torrington High School, it's clear that Torrington students need an urgent education about blaming the victim, bullying and harassment, what "consent" means, why statutory rape is rape, period, and where football should stand in relation to their education and the rest of life. Let's hope that starts today.