TAASA on Facebook
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) | Promote Your Page Too
Search for:
Tags
- activism
- child sexual assault
- crime
- feminism
- gender
- gender socialization
- LGBTQ
- masculinity
- media
- media commentary
- pop culture
- public policy
- race
- rape "jokes"
- rape culture
- sex offenders
- sexting
- social justice
- Sotomayor
- youth
Categories
Recent Comments
- Melissa Heald on Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Barbie Wins a TOADY
- Myra Tallerico on Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Barbie Wins a TOADY
- Torie camp on Sexual Assault Examinations Without Police Involvement: A Guide to Texas’ New Law
- Angelita Alvarado on Sexual Assault Examinations Without Police Involvement: A Guide to Texas’ New Law
- Charli Schauseil on Silent Witness
Blogroll
Admin
Archives

Jun

12

“Sexting Culture” Leads to Rape?

Tags: sexting, youth
Filed Under News | By Melissa Heald

A 20-year-old Massachusetts man, Kyle Fuchs, was recently sentenced to eight to 10 years in prison for raping three girls and taking or posting explicit photos of one of those victims and two other girls and posting them online.

The man has a long record of sexual assaults:

In 2006, he was charged with raping a girl in Lynn. Meanwhile, Fuchs, then 17, was dating and having sex with a 14-year-old girl from Swampscott and taking explicit photos of her, even after being put on probation in the Lynn case. In 2007, police discovered 42 images of child pornography sent by Fuchs. Police seized his computer and found more than 5,000 other images of underage girls in explicit poses. Another victim said Fuchs had invited her to watch television at his father’s house in October 2004, and while there, attacked her, pinning her to a bed and forcibly raping her. A year later, a girl said Fuchs took her to a secluded spot and “forced her to perform sexual activity,” apologized and then later he forcibly raped her.

Despite Fuchs’ history of exploiting girls sexually, the judge on the case, Salem Superior Court Judge Howard Whitehead, said “This kind of behavior is an outgrowth of the sexting culture,” and believes it “opens the door for predators to come in and exploit” teens.

Huh?!

So Judge Whitehead blames (at least partially) the victims and technology, even though Fuchs has demonstrated numerous times that he is a predator? To me, this seems like a typical fear-what’s-new reaction and effectively ignores the fact that young people have the right to be sexual without being admonished for “opening the door” to rape. Fuchs and Fuchs alone decided to sexually assault and exploit these girls, and he would have done it with or without the use of technology.

Comments

One Response to ““Sexting Culture” Leads to Rape?”

Jeremy on June 12th, 2009 2:57 pm

Sexting is being sexual through the way of txt message!?! So I think that this is definitely a symptom(like alcohol and drugs)of his perpatration! It is sadly another example of the hypermasculine men that society is producing, and “sexting” is just one more avenue that opens the door to objectification along with many other aspects of sexual and domestic violence. I think instead of worrying about “sexting” in this article, we should pay closer attention to his previous record! How can he in 06 get charged with rape, and then 07 already be out to perpetrate another offense of child pornography?? I mean the previous actions showed us every sign leading up to this event! What’s wrong with the justice system? I know at the first offense he was 17, but he could definitely be considered an adult in that case. In conclusion I do think that the “sexting culture” is playing a huge role in the structure of our youth!

Leave a Reply

TAASA on Facebook

Tags

Categories

Recent Comments

Blogroll

Admin

Archives

Jun

12

“Sexting Culture” Leads to Rape?

Comments