To want to complain to the local radio station (Gary Glitter).

[Pyjamaramadrama]

Driving home news report comes in local radio stating that Gary Glitter has been jailed for 16 years.

His crime? Having sex with a girl under 13 years old and sexually assaulting two others.

I was a bit wtf, how can he have sex with a girl under 13 years old. That would not be sex it would be rape. This is a fact, written in law. Saying 'he had sex with' minimises it and makes it sound as though she had a choice.

I think it's to do with the classification, there are offences of having sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 16, and with someone aged under 13.

But that's the name of the offence. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/part/1/crossheading/child-sex-offences

I always assumed it was phrased like that because "rape of a child under 13" made it sound as if there's a possibility of consensual sex with a child under 13, but this one in particular wasn't.

Ah ok, is this the case?

I was always under the belief that intercourse with a child under 13 was rape, as they cannot give consent. That intercourse with a child over 13 but under 16 could be rape or a lesser charge such as sex with a minor.

Perhaps I've had this wrong.

He is so disgusting.

It is rape in the way any reasonable person means the term, as under-thirteens can't consent, but the point of the offence is to be able to convict child abusers without ever, ever, ever, ever allowing them to start claiming the victim was consenting. I think we all know what adult rape victims go through, and it's to avoid that. Prove that it happened, job done.

*Go though in court

From what I can find the charges were indecent assault and 'unlawful intercourse'.

Saying 'had sex with' is inaccurate.

Actually, I've rechecked the CPS site and it has:
"Offences Against Children

Offences against children under 13 (sections 5 - 8)
    Introduction
    <strong>Section 5: Rape of a child under 13</strong>
    Section 6: Assault of a child under 13 by penetration
    Section 7: Sexual assault of a child under 13
    Section 8: Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
    Factors: whether or not to prosecute young defendants"

I stand corrected.

Rape is sex without consent. Since a child under 13 can't legally consent to sex anyway the offence is referred to as unlawful sexual intercourse or sex with a child under 13.

I'm glad he's been convicted and sentenced, his sentence should be longer imo, but when I heard ok the radio he'd 'had sex with a girl under 13' it riled me. Children cannot have sex, they can be raped or assaulted, but they can't have sex.

Although goggle tells me it's widely being reported this way.

Pleased he's been convicted.

Yes OP. He raped children.

I'm with you Pyjama

the language used is crucial to the accurate description of what he did

he didn't 'have sex' with a child, he raped them

bastard