Ross Andreson/Elko Daily Free Press
The 40-year-old former Elko police captain matter-of-factly admitted in court to having sex with a female relative.What a farce.
“I entered into an act of fornication with a relative,” Hughes told District Judge Nancy Porter.
The judge will have few options when sentencing Hughes on March 25. By statute, defendants guilty of incest are to be sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after two years. However, Hughes will under go a pycho-sexual evaluation and if he’s deemed to be low risk for repeating the offense, he could be given probation instead of prison time.Life sentences are appropriate for rape or child molestation, not for consensual sex or even statutory rape. Nevada law needs to be changed.
He will also be required to have lifetime supervision and register as a sex offender.
Absurd.
I have no problem with incest, and in fact think it can be a wonderful thing, as proven by the many interviews you have on this site where the people involved all say it is the most wonderful and fulfilling relationship they've ever been in and can't imagine being with anyone else. But I have to say I have no sympathy for this guy. I don't believe for a second that their relationship started when she was 17, I think it began earlier, and he is therefore a child molester. He was also the police chief of his town, which prevents this girl, his own daughter, from calling the police, and he knew that. He had an enormous amount of power over her, both as a father and as a police officer. And when you take into account the fact that he's 40, and she is still a teenager, I truly believe this is a clear cut case of child molestation, not statutory rape and certainly not consensual when you consider the difference of power between them. How can anyone think a 40 year old police officer climbing in bed with his teenage daughter is in any way OK? And what are her options, tell him no, knowing he is armed and has authority over her both as her father and a law enforcement officer? Can she call the police and report him? Who answers the phone when she does, one of his buddies. He'd find out, and then she's really in trouble. This man is disgusting, and should rot in prison for all eternity. As an aside, he was also involved in other criminal activity while on the police force, he was charged with stealing from the very community he was supposed to protect, which tells me he's a scumbag.
ReplyDeleteLet me reiterate my main point, it is not consensual when there is such a huge power discrepancy between those involved. I truly believe this was rape, if it wasn't, if she loved every minute of it and wanted it, why do we not read about that in the articles? It would be very easy for her to show up in court and support him, or tell the media she wanted it to happen. But she hasn't, she is content to let him go on trial for his freedom and face condemnation in the press and the court of public opinion, without ever speaking out in defence of him and his actions, to me this is very telling.
Pete, thanks for your thoughtful input. I do not argue against age of consent laws. People should be prosecuted for rape, statutory rape, theft, or anything else like that. He is being sentenced on consensual incest charges. Regardless of whether he's a good or bad guy, my point is that nobody should be prosecuted for consensual incest.
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