SJC: Boy accused of statutory rape may be victim of sex discrimination
Boston Globe - United States

A sharply divided Supreme Judicial Court said today that a teenage boy accused of statutory rape may have been a victim of gender discrimination because authorities did not charge the three preteen girls with whom he allegedly had consensual sex.
The case, which originated in Plymouth County, involved a 14-year-old high school freshman football player who is accused of engaging in various sex acts from August to October 2007 with three girls. Two of them were 12 years old and one was 11.
“None of the complainants reported being afraid of the boy's behavior,’’ Chief Justice Margaret Marshall wrote for the majority. “Indeed, sexual behavior seemed to melt seamlessly into games of 'manhunt,' 'truth or dare,' and 'making out.' Some of it occurred with more than one complainant present.’’...

...Bassil said 38 states have "Romeo and Juliet'' laws where consensual sex among teens is treated less harshly than in Massachusetts and she suggested the Legislature should update laws here.
The Women's Rights Project and the Reproductive Freedom Project, which are part of the American Civil Liberties Union, filed briefs in support of the boy, according to Sarah Wunsch, a lawyer in the ACLU’s Boston office...

...Wunsch also noted that it was the “good parent” who initiated the conversations among the parents – and now his son is the only one facing a criminal sentence. “That sends a message that parents ought to keep their mouth shut about what they discover,’’ she said...

...The boy is facing nine charges, including three counts of statutory rape. He might be required to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board, if convicted...

...Bassil said the boy has been kicked out of high school because of the charges. She also said his parents are deeply troubled by what they see as an injustice being done to their son.
"His life has been derailed,'' Bassil said.
The incidents were discovered when the boy’s father read a text message his son had gotten on his cellphone. Concerned, the father contacted one of the girls’ mother and after speaking with her daughter, the woman called police, the court said.