To me, the creepiest thing about this indictment is not the conduct alleged (although that is appalling) or the idea that it's somehow inappropriate to conduct a real inquiry into consent for such acts, but rather that the charged counts are as follows:
Conspiracy
Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion
Forced Labor Trafficking
Use of an Interstate Facility for Enticement
Document Servitude
Enticement to Travel for Sexual Activity
Transportation for Sexual Activity
Now obviously this is in federal court (even though all the defendants are residents of Missouri and the vast majority of the conduct allegedly occurred there), but the conspicuous absence of any charge that really cuts to the heart of the crime is almost shocking. If these guys are asked in the future what they were convicted of, will anyone really be able to make an informed decision about whether they deserve to be hired/shivved/given a first date, if these are the answers? Wouldn't some nice state law counts have been better? It's not like they'd get a light sentence if properly charged with those.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
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