U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Troy Walker, a/k/a “Caveman,” age 48, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in prostitution. Judge Messitte also ordered that upon his release from prison, Walker must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. FBI Website

Is 10 years enough? The man ran a sex club, the intent was group sex or orgies, and he wanted the 17-year-old to participate. So I ask again is 10 years enough? And what about the girl, some would argue that at 17 it was her choice to prostitute herself. What do 17 year olds know about…well…anything really.

Even the Supreme Court recognizes that teenagers do not have fully developed brains so legislated that the US will not execute under aged murderers and the FBI’s own profilers often repeat that all teenagers profile as sociopath. Teenage murderers do belong in some kind of facility and they definitely need a lot of help in dealing with what they have done once their brains catch up to their physicality.

The point is that just because someone who is uderaged agrees to do something, like prostitute themselves, any people that are, ‘of age’, have a responsibility to protect that young woman or young man and not exploit them. The sad case of Tracy Lords comes to mind. Just because she consented to nude modeling and pornographic movies does not mean she really had the mental capacity to make those decisions. Admittedly she had a slamming body and looked older than she actually was but she did not have the mental development to judge rightly.

Everyone seems to blame the victim; the Church, the porn industry, society age… It doesn’t matter how distasteful it may be for some people to admit but under age is under age and it matters little how one looks or how one acts. It is the adult that needs to take the lead and choose not to exploit or worse be a predator.