Yeah, but what I want to know is how a man finds himself thinking it’s ok to start a relationship with a 14 year old. As far as we know, Tom was fairly much a model citizen up until a couple of years ago. Good friends with Paul Kimmage, a man who seems to me to be credibility incarnate. I see it as a breakdown, some kind of mental illness. Maybe that’s way off the mark. But maybe it’s not.
Again, you’re assuming in his favour regarding his life up to now, Thrawneen. Which is fair enough because I don’t believe he’s been in trouble with the law prior to this incident. But he could equally have been living a lie, covering his tracks, manipulating people etc.
We’re too removed at this point in time to say it was an incredibly foolish mistake that he should be punished for on the one hand or something far more sinister that should see him locked up for years on the other. It should come out in time as part of the garda investigation.
This is my take. I’ve read the article and while it looks very bad for him he must be presumed innocent until it has been proven otherwise. If he’s guilty then by all means he must be locked up for a long time but it’s dangerous to be speculating wildly until then…
I’ve already said that if it emerges that he’s a sinister individual who has been exploiting young women for many years then I will be the first person to call for him to go to prison for a long time. But I don’t think that’ll be the case. I mean, Keith Duggan got him to write the foreword for one of his books. He is/was quite obviously sound. We could discuss what leads a man from being a decent character to being an alleged sex criminal, weighing up the many facts that we know about Tom. We could discuss the possible ins and outs of the particular situation. Or we could just shout for his testicles to be chopped off or some such like Kev and RTT. :rolleyes:
Serious question: what age does a “child” have to be for it to be considered paedophilia? Or does paedophilia imply that it was forced as opposed to consensual statutory rape?
i dont doubt youll find character references for him, but irrespective of who they are it matters not. Just as someone will vouch for the character of someone who smashed a brick into someones head and then watched them die but they are a good lad in the community. To be frank about it i have little time for character witnesses, especially the celebrity ones as they frequently outweigh the facts of the case and victim impact statements.
You’re making for the best discussion on this on the internet. I could see what you were getting at initally but Bandage hit the nail on the head a few posts up. Whether he’s done loads of this or only the one makes a bit of diference but not much. It’s the difference between Ian Huntley and a serial killer. If he’s knowingly carried on a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl he deserves everything he gets.
What’s with the little references to journalists being ‘sound’ though? Makes me think your on the wind up completely here which would explain a lot.
Also surprised that the youngest woman you’ve rode is 18. Did it take you a while to blossom into the lothario you are today?
You just don’t get it. Even if he was misguided/made a mistake/wreckless/mentally ill/blaa blaa blaa he has ruined a number of lives. The girl herself, his own family etc. I don’t need to know if there were others or if its even more sinister, it fucking is sinister. The girl has said they had a romantic and obviously physical relationship. Other than a court case what else do you need? His daughter found photos and texts. This did happen.
I don’t give a fuck how sound he was/is. He abused his position. I mean we are dam lucky that this girl has not done anything to harm herself.
No idea. It’s certainly not for me to decide either of those things.
When expressing my outrage about this case though, I do take into account the fact that if Tom had done the same thing a few hundred miles away in Germany it would be legal.
That statement is almost unbelieveable, do you also reckon Gary Glitter was fundementally a decent man, this is a dirty old paedo you are talking about. All I can say is be very careful when meeting some of your internet dates if this is the way you think Thraw.
