On 12/10/08, Anthony wikimail@inbox.org wrote:
I wonder, what would you say of a prepubescent girl whose parents had her work in a strip club? Is that a decision that a girl and her parents should be allowed to make, or is it a situation where the government can step in and stop? If the latter, is it reasonable to call it a sex crime?
I wouldn't call it a sex crime but there are in fact laws against employing minors in a "sexually-oriented business", which is probably a good thing.
It is possible that some jurisdictions may classify the strip club operator as a sex offender in if convicted of knowingly hiring a minor, I really have no idea. Revocation of business licence would be almost certain.
And yes I do agree that it would be bad parenting on the mother's part. Same with the album cover and most of the other examples I mentioned. Daughter could probably be taken into state custody and foster care if a certain burden of proof is met, I really don't know.
If any of these prosecutions occur it will be due to laws which already exist, many of which are written in response to specific incidents. Often they are known legally by a cryptic number but more commonly as "So-and-so's Law" in remembrance of a famous victim and as part of a grass-roots campaign to keep the same thing from happening again.
That's the way it should work, and I support this. But enforcing laws we think should exist would not hold up in court, at least not in any country which values freedom.
—C.W.