Flutterby™! : Man's fantasies lead to arrest 2002-03-13 18:52:27+00

Man's fantasies lead to arrest

2002-03-13 18:52:27+00 by Shawn 4 comments

A man sends a letter to Dear Abbey, asking for her help because he's having fantasies about having sex with his girlfriend's daughters. She calls the cops on him.

The allegations in the article are that this went a little beyond fantasies, but I'm still unsure of what he's actually been arrested for and accused of. I'll have to remember to search on this in a few days to see what sort of follow-ups there have been.

Not quite. The concern (as opposed to actual allegation) was that he might pose a danger to the girls, simply because he fantasized about them. (All this according to the article, which I agree doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. Still...)

The police arrived at his residence to check him out, asked to see what was on his computer, where they found child pornography. This is what he has been officially charged with - possesion of child pornography.

But still; the idea that a person's fantasies alone should cause them to be investigated is very spooky.

Except for the presence of the kiddie porn, I'm struck by the similarities between this situation and one in the news about 5 or 6 years back: Wherein a woman had her daughter taken away from her (for several years!) when she called a parenting hotline to ask if it was normal for her to become physically aroused while breastfeeding.

It's all a matter of Degree. I'd bet if the guy had said the girls were 15 and 17, he would have gotten some advice (wait until they are older). 3 and 10 coupled with wording that we are not privey to made her fearful for the safety of the children. I'm glad that this may have gotten stopped before it got completly out of hand. Did the guy write to Dear Abbey for advice, understanding he had a real problem and needed help? Hopefully. And I hope he's getting some help as well.

It's all a matter of Degree. I'd bet if the guy had said the girls were 15 and 17, he would have gotten some advice

I'd like to think so, but that doesn't hold up with the attitude(s) that I've observed. Age doesn't seem to be a factor (except for over 18) when the hysteria starts.