From TMJ4:
Suspect Justin Layman says he was 17 when he started seeing the 14-year-old girl. The mother of the teenage girl got upset and called police, but now she doesn't want the young man to get in trouble.
The victim's mother who we'll call “Denise" didn't want to be identified, but she's speaking out hoping the justice system will go easy on Layman.
“I want the DA to know that I don’t want Justin’s life ruined. I want everyone to know that I don’t want his life ruined,” Denise said.
Denise turned in her 14-year-old daughter’s 18-year-old boyfriend after learning the two repeatedly had sex. Now, Layman is facing 120 years behind bars.
“It’s ridiculous. Our laws need to change,” Denise said.
Denise is having second thoughts about what she did, saying she never imagined calling police would get Layman in so much trouble.
“I think the charges are absolutely ridiculous. He does not deserve to be charged as a felon,” Denise said. “However, he broke the law and he deserves some type of punishment. Probation, but he does not deserve to go to jail.”
...“There are a lot of kids out there doing this. Unfortunately Justin is being made an example of, for what reason I do not know,” Denise said.
Nineteen-year-old Casey Aldridge could also be in trouble for having sex with his girlfriend, 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears. Britney's little sister is happily pregnant with his child.
Whether or not Aldridge could face statutory rape charges depends on where the baby was conceived.
LOS ANGELES -- The pregnancy of 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears brings up a lot of questions, but the one on many minds is whether this could be a case of statutory rape.
While there are varying reports about Aldridge’s age, most place him at either 18 or 19, making him an adult, while Spears, at 16, is still a minor.
...If the baby was conceived in California, where Spears filmed “Zoey 101” for Nickelodeon, and where she and Aldridge have often been spotted together, Aldridge could have committed a crime.
California law makes a distinction in the weight of the crime charged, based on the age of the people involved. Because Aldridge is not more than three years older than Spears, getting her pregnant in California could be a misdemeanor under state law.
As for the potential penalty, prosecutors could push for up to a year in jail.
In Louisiana, the state in which Spears said she plans to raise her baby, Aldridge is up for just one penalty, dependant on whether he is 18 or 19.
If he is 18, no crime has been committed.
If he is 19, however, Aldridge could be charged with a felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The maximum penalty for the felony could be up to 10 years in prison, with or without hard labor.
In Aldridge’s home state of Mississippi, where he reportedly works as a pipe layer, statutory rape only applies to sex with persons 15 years of age or younger.
According to defense attorney Jeffrey Steinberger, all of that is probably irrelevant because prosecuting the daddy is "highly unlikely."
Prosecutors look for “necessary intent,” Steinberger explained and because Aldridge and Spears are involved, attorneys are unlikely to go after the teen.
Steinberger also noted that because both parties are under the age of 21, prosecutors are also likely to stay away from the case.
Aldridge is lucky he wasn't having sex with Spears in Racine County.
Racine County District Attorney Mike Nieskes isn't staying away from Justin Layman's case, far from it.
The DA stands behind the charges but hinted a plea deal could be in the works.
“I think you need to look at how the matter will be resolved before you make a determination as to whether or not it was overcharged,” District Attorney Mike Nieskes said.
Meantime, Denise says she plans to "do right" by Layman and is willing to testify for him if this case goes to trial.
There's no way that Layman will be put away for life, but he has been charged with a crime.
Aldridge's main concern seems to be avoiding the paparazzi rather than worrying about jail time.
JACKSON, Miss. -- [T]o hear Aldridge's uncle tell it, the daddy-to-be [Aldridge] isn't quite ready to join Spears — the star of "Zoey 101" and the sister of pop star Britney Spears — in the spotlight.
"I don't think they are ready yet to sit down and talk to the media," Odus Jackson, a pastor in Gloster, Miss., told The Associated Press by telephone Thursday. "They haven't gotten their heads together yet."
Jackson said media were already swarming the southern Mississippi town — with a population of 1,073 at last census count — in search of Aldridge, not even 48 hours after the news came that Spears told OK! celebrity magazine about the pregnancy. She said she plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana.
Jackson, 71, said Aldridge left before camera crews descended Wednesday and was going into hiding. Jackson said he spoke briefly with his nephew, who also lives in Gloster but was often out of town for work.
"He doesn't want to say the wrong thing to the media," Jackson said. "At the right time he will speak."
..."He is a quiet guy," Jackson said. "That is why it is going to be very difficult to corner him until everybody is ready to talk together on the same page. He doesn't like the limelight. He is going to hide as much as he can."
So Aldridge gets Spears pregnant and is catapulted into being a celebrity of sorts.
Layman, on the other hand, is being treated like a criminal.
Of course, Jamie Lynn's mom didn't call police to report that Aldridge had sex with her underage daughter.
She apparently called OK! magazine.
TMZ has learned that Jamie Lynn Spears was not paid for this week's magazine interview ... yet. We're told the money will change hands down the road -- when the baby is born.
...Britney's mom, Lynne, read the article (who didn't?!) and called OK! personally to thank them "for handling it so well." She stayed in touch with OK!, and called them this week when she learned that news of Jamie's pregnancy was about to break. Her only requirement? Keep Britney out of it. This is about Jamie Lynn. "She trusted them to do it in a way that would be sympathetic to her daughter," our source says.
We're told Jamie and mom did not want money, but OK! has agreed to pay $1 million to the younger Spears for a photo shoot when the child is born. Why so little when others have commanded several million? We're told it's because Jamie Lynn is not an international star and it's not worth it to the mag to pay big bucks for something they can't sell overseas.
$1 million for photos of the baby! Will Casey Aldridge get a piece of that pie? Who knows?
In any event, Aldridge finds himself in the middle of a media circus.
The New York Times is calling the matter an opportunity, a "teachable moment."
Real families need to talk about "the pregnancy of 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears, who plays the perfect, well-liked and, it is understood, virginal teenage girl on 'Zoey 101' on Nickelodeon."
I bet Justin Layman wishes he was at the center of a "teachable moment" rather than facing 120 behind bars for his sexual activities.
Among the many lessons here:
---Having sex with a famous 16-year-old could make you a star.
---Having sex with a Racine County teen could make you a felon.
---It pays to have sex with the rich and famous.
No comments:
Post a Comment