The Dobbs Wire: the immense power of a prosecutor – what will the judge do?

For an “online romance” between two teens, a Virginia prosecutor hit the older one with an armload of charges – 20 counts that add up to centuries. The possible punishment was so extreme that Zachary decided to take the prosecutor’s unreasonable offer to dismiss most of the charges in exchange for a guilty plea to two *felonies,* also a spot on the sex offense registry.  All this craziness has a leading Virginia legislator writing a letter in support of the defendant.  Next stop—March 9th– is the sentencing hearing.  What will the judge do?  Have a look at another chapter in this country’s never-ending war on sexual civil liberties.  –Bill Dobbs  

 

Reason.com | Feb. 14, 2017

Teen Girl Sent Teen Boy 5 Inappropriate Pictures. He Faced Lifetime Registry as a ‘Violent Sex Offender’ or 350 Years in Jail.

Welcome to the world of teens, computers, and prosecutors who want to look tough on sex offenders.

By Lenore Skenazy

Zachary, now 19, is in jail awaiting sentencing for five pictures his teenage girlfriend sent him of herself in her underwear. He faced a choice between a possible (though unlikely) maximum sentence of 350 years in prison, or lifetime on the sex offender registry as a “sexually violent offender”—even though he never met the girl in person. Here’s what happened.

 

About two years ago, when Zachary was a 17-year-old high school senior in Stafford County, Virginia, a girl in his computer club invited him over to visit. She introduced him to her younger sister, age 13. This younger sister told Zachary he reminded her of a friend: this friend, also a 13-year-old girl, shared Zachary’s love of dragons and videogames.

 

The two 13-year-olds started skyping Zachary together. Eventually Zachary and the dragon-lover struck up a online friendship, which developed into a online romance. By the summer, a month after Zachary turned 18, the girl sent him five pictures of herself in her underwear. Her face was not visible, nor were her private parts.   MORE:

 

http://reason.com/blog/2017/02/14/teen-girl-sends-teen-boy-5-pix-of-self-i