Columbus Police arrest 4 for prostitution and discover one is only 15. The cops found them through a Craig’s List ad.
Gasaway was surprised to find the girl arrested was only 15.
“I’ve never had one that young,” he said. “She could have passed for 18.”
When arrested, she said she was 21. The true age of the Atlanta girl, who ran away from a group home in LaGrange, Ga., last December, was discovered in jail.
Monday morning, the three women appeared in Columbus Recorder’s Court. All pleaded not guilty and were bound over to Muscogee County Superior Court.
The teen will appear in juvenile court. It was her involvement with the women that could cause them the most trouble.
Cassandra Geotcha, 20, of Douglasville, Ga, got a $25,000 bond for child molestation from Recorder’s Court Judge Michael Cielinski, She also received a $10,000 bond for enticing a child for an indecent purpose, $2,500 for violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act and $1,000 for marijuana possession.
Tammy Baughman, 26, of Atlanta, received a $25,000 bond for child molestation, $10,000 for enticing a child for an indecent purpose, $2,500 for violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, $1,000 for pimping and $1,000 for prostitution.
Brittnay Davis, 20, of Atlanta, received a $25,000 bond for child molestation, $10,000 for enticing a child for indecent purposes, $2,500 for violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, and $1,000 for prostitution.
A couple of things about this:
1) The fact that the 15 yr old is a minor hasn’t stopped the authorities from charging the pimp and the other prostitutes.
2) The fact that the 15 yr old is a minor has given the authorities additional and serious crimes to charge the others with, and
3) If convicted, the child molestation charges will require these women to be placed on the sexual offender list for the rest of their lives, thus effectively keeping them out of the prostitution business forever.
If the 15 yr old was not prosecuted, as would happen should Unterman’s bill pass, just how is child prostitution legalized? How do the pimps and johns benefit? When will she be dumped back on the street to continue her life as a prostitute?
I’d like to hear from the opponents of Senator Unterman’s child exploitation bill on this.
{ 55 comments }
Excellent! Perfectly said!! I want to hear what the opponents have to say now, too.
Here’s what an opponent would say: “Had the girl NOT been arrested, they would have never discovered who she was, how old she is, and the story about her running away from home.”
So you’re thinking the opponents are stupid and don’t know about DFACS?
Oh yeah. They forgot all about DFACS. A veritable paradise of helpful people all around this state. (Read: Psychopaths who are still stuck in their own childhood traumas.)
So you’re saying that they think that instead of fixing DFACS (which they’ve NEVER mentioned), throwing the kids in jail where maybe they can join a Christian Ministry is a better idea, huh?
Please tell me how the police would have discovered the girl was 15 (and not 21) and that the girl ran away from home had they, again, not arrested her and put her in jail for processing? Please answer me that.
Mozart,
My understanding the police would call Children Services, but you may know more than I.
That is how they do it on the TV show Law and Order.
Mozart,
Do you really think a police officer that raided a whore house and arrested all the adults would just leave the minors in the house without calling anyone?
It’s not what I “think” what happens that is important here. It is what does happen that is important. Concepts like my or your logic do not come into play in the real world of the legal system.
Until someone more knowledgeable about this subject actually speaks-up, this is a badminton game that is a waste of time.
Mozart, police process people ALL THE TIME without arresting them. The point of arrest has to do with the charging of a crime, not the gathering of evidence.
Byte,
So, if they “process” them, are you saying they can put them in a cell without charging them with a crime?
Because if they are not put into a cell, or transferred to juvi-detention, then they can’t just hang around waiting for Senator Unterman to show-up to help them. Are they somehow released on their own recognizance…?
You already know that there are rules for governing police holding people as material witnesses or for reasons such as they are a danger to themselves. This is not an “arrest” and the person is not placed into the general prison or detention population.
This arrest does not validate the need for Unterman’s law. It sounds like the police were doing their job. They arrested and charged those caught in the sting. The arrest did the job in finding the 15 year old. Perhaps her perps made her say she was 18 so they wouldn’t get charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Under Unterman’s bill, the perps will use countless 15 years and younger because there is not fear of the law.
Mozart,
The only way the girl would not have been arrested is if the authorities already knew she was 15; therefore, they would not have to arrest her to discover something they already knew.
Also, 15-year old bankrobbers are not victims. Fifteen-year old prostitutes are, by the definition of our own laws, victims. I think that’s a legitimate difference.
Ken,
I appreciate your input. But, if you go down to that thread between Konop and I, you will see that he appeared to be the one to think all minors are victims. Unless I read him completely wrong.
Mozart,
You are putting words in my mouth. And trust I do not the help. My point is a minor cannot give consent for sex below the age of 16. And many are sold, runaways……into this trade with very little choice if at all. Also they are stuffed with drugs and abused by the pimps to be kept in line.
How could any rational person not see them as a victim?
Konop,
If there is no support system codified in the law that Unterman wants passed, then your “heart in the right place” isn’t going to serve those victims any good, and they may end-up being treated worse.
The girl should be Stoned. So sayeth Sadie Field’s interpretation of Jesus.
Chris,
Do you not understand after stoning she will never do it again! Sadie is a problem solver!
I Think she was. The other prosties were arrested for possession of marijuana.
How stiff are the penalties for the three adults’ charges, should they be found guilty? Severe, I hope.
If memory serves, aggravated child molestation is one of the seven deadlies. Which means a minimum of 25 years. But I’m not sure if its applicable here. Not to say it shouldn’t be.
Because the girl is 15, I could see additional possible charges ranging from false imprisonment to kidnapping looked at and charged if applicable.
I believe it does apply here because, according to O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4. Child molestation; aggravated child molestation.
(a) A person commits the offense of child molestation when he or she does any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person.
The law can also, in addition to the 25 years, put said offender on probation for life.
Plus he ends up getting placed on all the perv lists so the only place he can live is in a trailer down by the river.
Which is where kiddies just happen to wander by during the summer as they explore the world around them…great thought, Chuck.
I’m getting too old, my Saturday Night Live references don’t work anymore.
Chuck,
I got it! But I’m old, too.
very timely piece in light of recent protestations – perhaps Providence has brought this to bear to illuminate the situation
I don’t know who this Providence guy is that you speak of, but the Columbus police and the Ledger-Enquirer I think had a bit more to do with illuminating the situation than this Providence dude.
Here’s what an opponent would say: “Had the girl NOT been arrested, they would have never discovered who she was, how old she is, and the story about her running away from home.”
They would have just left her on the street.
Mozart,
Should a minor be treated like a criminal or victim in this case?
Not sure about this. Otherwise, how would you ever be able to prosecute for child molestation and statutory rape if you just leave the minor “on the street.” If a 17 year old teenager has “consensual” sex with a 15 year teenager, the 17 year old is prosecuted as a child molester in spite of the 15 year old not being prosecuted.
The argument doesn’t work, because the girl’s age was not discovered until after she was in police custody.
The police will have a need to find out the age of the girl. If she’s an adult, she’ll need to be prosecuted for prostitution. If she’s a minor, then the adults involved will need to be prosectuted for child molestation and statutory rape.
If the minor is not “treated as a criminal”, then why, exactly, do we have this thing called “juvenile detention? If all minors are victims, then we should let them ALL off the hook for their not-quite-transgressions-against-society because we need to de-criminalize these acts as “crimes.” That’s what you’re really thinking in the back of your mind, right Mr. Konop? You know, in order to have your argument be 100% consistent, right?
Mozart,
Guilty as charged! My point is simple; many of us view them as victims so how can it be a crime.
Because the “many of us view them as victims” caucus views them that way does not mean that they are correct.
Mozart,
You do not view the minors as victims if so why?
Because I view these “minors” making decisions every single day and they are supposed to be raised and taught right-and-wrong by their parents.
If a 16 or 17-year old steals a car, robs a bank, or murders someone, are we supposed to just send them to counseling?
If a 14 year-old boy violently rapes a 10-year girl, do we treat them both as “victims?”
If you want all minors who commit acts against societal norms and laws to be merely “counseled” for their non-crimes, then I would suggest to you that coddling criminals has been proven to never work everywhere it has been tried.
Mozart,
You are putting words in my mouth. And trust me I do not the help. My point is a minor cannot give consent for sex below the age of 16. And many are sold, runaways……into this trade with very little choice if at all. Also they are stuffed with drugs and abused by the pimps to be kept in line.
How could any rational person not see them as a victim?
I think for your argument to be correct, you would have to be against the premise of statutory rape. You would have to believe a 12 year old has the maturity level to have consensual sex; therefore statutory rape should not be a strict liablity crime.
I can tell someone has been keeping up with their criminal law readings
I’d probably still get a B-.
Hey, better than a C-!
” If all minors are victims, then we should let them ALL off the hook for their not-quite-transgressions-against-society…”
Moz, this girl did not commit any transgression against society. A transgression was committed against her.
Great point!!!
ChuckEaton,
Very good point!
I always preferred Beethoven to Mozart. Mozart is WAY overrated
I’ve rated high enough for long enough that I’m not too worried about what YOUR opinion is of me or my music.
This is for you Mozart!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4pdhKL4b4
3) If convicted, the child molestation charges will require these women to be placed on the sexual offender list for the rest of their lives, thus effectively keeping them out of the prostitution business forever.
Oh right because law always punishes to the point whereby NO recidivism occurs! Lesson learned, yeah buddy! One more ‘child saved’.So just what do you think they are going to do for a living?
I was never a fan of ‘dogpiling charges’ but this is retarded. Because a girl with an arbitrary age willingly decided she needed work? Anyone hiring 15 year old runaways?
My great-great grandmother was 13 when she married and had the first of 7 children from her husband, a 50 years old man. Needless to say, if these ‘protect the children’ laws had been around in the late 1870’s there would have been about 800 descendants never born.
“But it’s for the children!” your religous right squeals.
To save one child, you may inadvertently rob future generations of the next Einstein (or Hitler, but who are we to meddle in your God’s Plan™?)
So just what do you think these people are going to be doing for a living, with this BS “sexual offender” thing?
Because 15 year old NEVER lie to anyone about their age, right?
Right?
“She could have passed for 18″ said the SEASONED cop who is an EXPERT in the area of prostitution.
Only one in 1000 get busted, if that many. What we are doing is not working.
Legalize, regulate and tax. And quit messin’ with your God’s Plan!™
What a convoluted viewpoint. First, this girl didn’t marry anyone. Second, your grandmother lived in a different society with different struggles and views on marriage.
correction: your “great-great grandmother”
As I read through these discussions about this it appears that this particular case worked just fine with our current laws and I would like to think that Ms. Unterman’s bill would not be needed. Even today most law enforcement once the young person is processed during their fiirst offence is turned over for rehabilitation. My question for this particular 15 year old is that she (apparently) ran away from a group home (could she had done this before?) is she still a victim…I don’t think so, I believe that at this point she wilfully sought this out, and should be dealt with according to the current laws of prostitution, and this is what I believe some of these groups are calling legal prostitution.
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