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It's dangerous to use the Internet as means of meeting strangers for sexual trysts – now in more ways than one. Rumor has it that, in a rural Virginia county, someone has recently been charged with attempting to set up a sexual rendezvous with a minor, even though there was not a minor involved and no one even claiming to be one.
According to the story, a 44-year-old man had hooked up with what he thought was a 35-year-old woman. However, when he went to meet her at the agreed-upon venue, he was met by three cops who promptly arrested him. As it turned out, the person he had been chatting with was actually an undercover female police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl pretending to be a 35-year-old woman.
However, the officer admits to never having claimed to be a 14-year-old girl during her discussions with the "suspect." So why is he still in trouble? Police, along with local commonwealth's attorney (that's what they have in Virginia instead of district attorneys), claim that the man should have asked his potential sex partner if she was really a minor, despite the fact that she told him she was 35.
Like I said, this is just a rumor for which I have, so far, not been able to find any corroborating evidence or independent confirmation. Most of the people with whom I have discussed this either do not believe it or think the state would not a have snowball's chance in you-know-where of successfully prosecuting this case.
However, I beg to differ. Stranger things have happened, and many people have been prosecuted and sent to jail for the silliest of reasons. In addition, there is no shortage of prosecutors (with plenty of cops doing their bidding) who care only about advancing their careers, even if that means kowtowing to overzealous child protection advocates.
Just something to think about the next time you entertain ideas about cruising the Net for your next sexual conquest.
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