Nebraska man charged for sex with wife, 13

[wetrat]

"Families support couple, but prosecutor calls union ‘repugnant’

LINCOLN, Neb. - A 22-year-old man faces criminal charges in Nebraska for having sex with an underage 13-year-old girl, although he legally married her in Kansas after she became pregnant.

The man’s lawyer said the couple, with their families’ support, “made a responsible decision to try to cope with the problem.”

Matthew Koso, 22, was charged Monday with first-degree sexual assault, punishable by up to 50 years in prison. He was released on $7,500 bail pending an Aug. 17 preliminary hearing."
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8716780/

[nirvana]

Sounds like something from the screwed up side of my family in Lincoln..........she's 16 though.....

[Gunslinger]

Kansas law labeled ‘ridiculous’
He said the marriage is valid, thanks to the “ridiculous” Kansas law, “but it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to stand by while a grown man ... has a relationship with a 13-year-old — now 14-year-old — girl.”

Bruning, who has said he will seek a second term in 2006, has aggressively prosecuted sex crimes against children since he was elected in 2002

The couple were married in May by a judge in Hiawatha, Kan., just across the state line from Falls City.

Nebraska allows people as young as 17 to marry if they have parental consent.

Kansas law, however, sets no minimum marriage age, although case law sets the minimum age at 14 for boys and 12 for girls. The marriage must be approved by both parents or guardian, or by a district court judge, said Whitney Watson, spokesman for Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline. A judge also must approve if only one parent approves.

Koso’s lawyer, Willis Yoesel, said the girl’s mother and Koso’s parents approved of the marriage. He said the girl’s father has not lived with the family for some time.

“The families are all united in this effort,” Yoesel said. “I don’t know who is complaining. ... What benefit is there to anybody in the prosecution of this young man?”

While I'd likely kill a 22 year old if he had "relations" with my 13 year old daughter I think the parents have decided here and kansas law allows it.

Being a Nebraska native myself I think the AG should stay out of this one.

[rpm]

The kid had to marry a teenage girl. Isn't that punishment enough? Altho a good asskicking by the new Father-In-Law wouldn't be out of line.

[Yeager]

why did the idiots go to nebraska?

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by Yeager
why did the idiots go to nebraska?

Good question. One I'd like to know the answer to.
But even there. isnt ther a federal law that says if a couple is married in one state that all states have to recognise that marriage?

Isnt that one of the things being argued for Same sex mariages?

If thats the case then i'd say Nebraska has no case as you certainly cant make it illegal to have sex with your own wife

[Gunthr]

They ought to put them both in time out and maybe take away tv privlages for a month.

[Toad]

Originally posted by Yeager
why did the idiots go to nebraska?

I think they are both FROM Nebraska. They went down to Hiawatha to get married because, with parental consent, it's legal in Kansas while it is not legal in Nebraska.

They left "home", got married in Kansas where it is legal and returned "home".

[XrightyX]

Originally posted by wetrat
"Families support couple, but prosecutor calls union ‘repugnant’

LINCOLN, Neb. - A 22-year-old man faces criminal charges in Nebraska for having sex with an underage 13-year-old girl, although he legally married her in Kansas after she became pregnant.

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Good question. One I'd like to know the answer to.
But even there. isnt ther a federal law that says if a couple is married in one state that all states have to recognise that marriage?

Isnt that one of the things being argued for Same sex mariages?

If thats the case then i'd say Nebraska has no case as you certainly cant make it illegal to have sex with your own wife

One critical piece of information:  AFTER she became pregnant.

I think it's illegal in every state (and probably most European countries) for a 22 year-old to have sex with a 13 year old.  Doesn't matter if you marry her a month later or not.

[Hangtime]

Yup. He's guilty.

Sentance should be 'no backsies, no divorce' for 21 years.

Call it 'time served'.

[StarOfAfrica2]

Originally posted by Toad
I think they are both FROM Nebraska. They went down to Hiawatha to get married because, with parental consent, it's legal in Kansas while it is not legal in Nebraska.

They left "home", got married in Kansas where it is legal and returned "home".

Which makes no difference under the law.  Legally married is legally married.  Nebraska cant change that if she had parental consent.

What they CAN do is prosecute the man for having sex with a minor, even if they are married.  Far as I can tell from the internet (which isnt always reliable) there's nothing in the wording of the law that says it matters if the guy is married to her or not.  Underage is underage to the law.  

I think in this case they are doing both families a disservice by prosecuting him.  Just my opinion.

[Toad]

Yeager asked why they went to Nebraska.

I replied that they started in Nebraska and went home to Nebraska. In short, they are not Kansas residents.

I made no comment about legality, prosecution or anything else.

I'm merely pointing out that they went back to Nebraska because it is "home". That's why.

[eagl]

Sounds like rape to me.  It's too bad her parents didn't treat the initial crime as a rape in the first place.  Unless maybe the families arranged the whole thing, in which case they're accessories and/or conspirators to the crime.

Will the girl's parents be charged with failing to report the crime of statuatory rape or neglect?  I think they share some liability since the way they've handled it (allowing their daughter to marry someone who's entire relationship with her is based on a crime that will land her new husband in jail) is going to cause her at least as much emotional trauma as being pregnant at age 13 will.

So who has custody of the girl?  If her parents are still her guardians, she probably ought to be taken into protective custody before her parents make another brilliant decision and continue to fail to protect her from sexual predators like the guy they allowed/encouraged her to marry.

[Seagoon]

Mercifully, it is still the case that no thirteen year old can give her consent to sexual relations with an adult anywhere in the USA.

The real problem is that her parents gave their consent to her marriage, thus attempting to "legitimize" what was actually child molestation and rape.

I understand the misguided desire to smooth over a terrible situation, and perhaps save their grandson from the stigma of illegitimacy, but marrying off their child to her molester was not the answer. Also, I have to ask, what kind of supreme lack of common sense would lead a father to believe that a young man who has no problems sleeping with children would make a good father and husband?

The correct answer from the get-go was press charges, adopt your daughter's child, and then seriously reexamine one's approach to child-rearing.

- SEAGOON

EDIT - Whoops, posted this at the same time as Eagle.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

I want PICTURES!

Is that rape when the girl concent to the sexual act? Or the fact that she's under 18, it's classified as rape?