I assume the crux of the support for Moore’s alleged behaviour is consent. Doesn’t explain why anyone would need to trot out virgin births as an example of how OK underage sex is (uhh, *virgin* birth). Doesn’t speak to how non-consensual pussy groping is OK either.

Thing is – consent is a challenging with younger people. I remember *being* a 14-18 year old girl feeling urbane and sophisticated because some older guy was interested in me. Exactly as WaPo put it – “flattering at the time, but troubling as they got older”. Especially when I was older and saw other underage girls expressing the same pride in their relationship. However much some 30-something guy is willing to smile and nod while a young teen prattles on with her deep thoughts, intellectual stimulation was NOT what the guy is after … and it was dismaying to realize, in retrospect, the same logic applied to me.

The entire point of statutory rape is that people under whatever bright-line age of consent exists in the jurisdiction don’t have the wherewithal (i.e. experience with life) to provide consent. Modern society is moving that way — NY enacted resolutions over the summer that move the legal marriage age up to match the consent age: 17 (before that legislation, having the court/parents sign off on a marriage was an end-run around statutory laws). Someone who wants to argue that Moore’s actions were acceptable *because* the kids were OK with it … would they be willing to put forth legislation eliminating both balancing tests and bright-line ages??