Jamie Lynn Spears -statutory Rape Victim

In 1958, twenty three year old Jerry Lee Lewis married his thirteen-year-old cousin and while the movie, Great Balls of Fire, depicted that Jerry Lee and his young bride did not consummate their sexual relations until their wedding night we will never really know.

In the 1960's it was rumored that Elvis Presley talked Priscilla's parents to let her come live with him and his parents when she was a minor, they met when she was only fourteen years old.

In 2002, an African American celebrity was 'allegedly' caught on tape having sex with a woman they think to be a minor and he was indicted. The minor's parents did not come forward to press charges, nor did the alleged minor, but the judge is about to set a trial date.

In 2005, seventeen year old, Genarlow Wilson engaged in oral sex with a consenting fifteen-year-old at a New Year's Eve party. The 15-year-old girl repeatedly stated that the act of oral sex was consensual though she legally could not consent. Genarlow Wilson was convicted and sent to jail for a minimum ten-year sentence.

In 2007, Jaime Lynn Spears, star of Nickelodeon's Zoey 101, at the age of 16 announced to the world that she is pregnant with her 18 or possibly 19 year-old boyfriend's child. Yet there are no charges being brought against this adult. Should I dare say the fact that Jamie Lynn Spears is a white celebrity that the same rules do not apply?

Do you see any major differences in these sexual acts other then the color of their skin?

Jaime Lynn Spears's publicists, has made sure to keep the news media filled with all sorts of lovely sound bites; "Jaime Lynn is so happy to be pregnant with her long-term boyfriend"; "Jamie and the boyfriend are being so responsible by having this baby"; "the parents and family, while shocked, are so proud that they are having this baby." Celebrities and politicians running for President in 2008 alike are praising this young person for keeping her child. I do not really have a comment on what she does with this pregnancy one way or the other but I do feel this young man should be investigated.

When I heard this news, plastered across the internet and television I waited to hear about the investigation of statutory rape, but nothing happened. Instead, I am reading updated articles almost hourly how the boyfriend is from a Christian background; and his uncle is a pastor or reverend at a church. Lynn Spears sold the story to a major magazine, so obviously she felt that a man having sex with her minor daughter is not against the law. The young man that had sex with Jamie Lynn broke the law. Consensual sex or not, the definition of statutory rape is as follows: It is any carnal knowledge of a female under the age of consent, whether or not the female was a willing participant. The age of consent varies from state to state, but is generally from 16 - 18 years of age.

An investigation needs to begin, and it needs to start with the following questions:

Was this the first time they had sex? How long have they been having sex? Where was the child conceived?

According to reports, this is a "long-term" boyfriend. The spin the publicist wants you to believe is that while she is under age and pregnant she was not being promiscuous. When I hear long-term boyfriend it seems logical to assume they have probably been having sex for a very long time, which comes back to statutory rape.

The law states that statutory rape is prosecuted differently state to state. I read recently that a prosecutor looks for "necessary intent" and that because of who the teens are, namely Jamie Lynn Spears, the prosecutors are unlikely to go after them. They also mentioned or made the assumption that since both parties are under the age of 21, the prosecutors are likely to stay away from the case. That wasn't the case with Genarlow Wilson, not only were they both consenting but part of the sexual acts were caught on tape and he was still indicted and sentenced to ten years of prison.

Now I hear Nickelodeon is not only publicly praising Jamie Lynn Spears for having her child, but are also going to profit from her pregnancy by putting on a show that discusses teen pregnancy. They act as if she is the first teenager to ever get pregnant. Teenagers have been getting pregnant for years now and now Nickelodeon wants to enlighten teenagers about pregnancy?

Please teach your children the significance and importance of underage sex and teenage pregnancy. It is not something to take lightly, being a parent is the most important thing you can ever do. Bringing a life into the world is much more then just being Pro-Life.