Internet 'grooming'

[Anonymous]

In the light of the recent events involving Shevaun Pennington and Toby Studabaker, David Blunkett would like to make the offence of 'grooming' people on the internet a punishable offence, subject to a maximum of five years imprisonment.
However, much as I admire David Blunkett for overcoming his disadvantages, blindness, control freak, from Yorkshire, stupid, I cannot see him locking a twelve year old girl up for five years. It may be my reading of the case but this girl lied, invented a fictious personae and duped an innocent person into meeting her in France. They both now appear frightened and unwilling to face the consequences. It must work both ways and I do not think the Home Secretary has thought this out properly. Comments, critisisms invited.
Paddy
Ps I was 'groomed' through the Internet by an older woman and I love her dearly for it.

[jjc]

Paddy, I'm not sure that the type of 'Grooming' you experienced is quite what they have in mind... ;)

It is my understanding (I read it in the paper today) that the bloke involved in this case has twice previously been investigated by the police for 'inappropriate' behaviour with a minor.

According to his family she used an alias and gave a false age... how, then, did she get a ticket to France? Either he, or she, must have bought it. Since she couldn't have used the alias, how come he didn't notice?

She left with him on Saturday... why did it take this 'innocent' man until today to send her home (despite having known her real age for at least two days, and such huge media coverage)?

Why didn't he take one look at her when they first met and tell her to go home?

Let's face it, we don't know the details of this liason. We don't know if she duped him or if he duped her. The difference is that he is old enough to make his own mistakes and work out for himself if people are honest, she isn't.

Oh... and, as I type, the news are reporting that the FBI have discovered child pornography on his home computer at the weekend!!!!