Assault & underage prostitutes? Just another day in the life of a journalist...

FBI investigating former Oklahoman reporter:

http://newsok.com/fbi-investigates-former-oklahoman-reporter/article/3842584

 

This is the guy who was doing the upskirt shots at Moore's graduation.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/96067/

 

The drop-hed on the site is somewhat misleading. I was reading it as the ex-reporter was trying to hire a 16-year-old hooker for himself. Yet, in the story, the prostitute told him in a text that she was 19. That would seem that he was in the clear on statutatory rape charges, although still could be charged with soliciting prostitution.

And the story said he was trying to hire a younger girl for his brother, not for himself. Which could be sex trafficking. Yet, the drophead isn't implying that.

 

Knowledge of age is not an element of statutory rape, nor is it a defense to have lack of knowledge.

 

Interesting to note on page 2 that the Oklahoman now says he wasn't covering the graduation for the paper. Sounds to me like the paper is covering its ass for having hired and continued to employ the guy.

 

Or ... you know ... he might not have been covering the graduation for the paper and used its as a way to get into graduation and close to the kids.

 

Not necessarily, although this case is 20 years old:

http://www.soc.umn.edu/~samaha/cases/garnett_v_state.htm

 

See what happens when you make reporters take their own photos?

Also, I can imagine the steam coming from the publisher's ears when the FBI called his paper "an obscure local blog."

 

so...does this mean there is an opening at the obscure local paper?

 

I know he is innocent because it said he paid $220 for sex; that is about a week's salary for a reporter.

 

That may be becoming a trend. In my jurisdiction, reasonable mistake of age is a defense when the age in question is older than 14.

 

Luis Polonia is very interested in this new "I thought she was 18" defense.