Math and Ms. Peterson

We talked the other day about a teacher named Peterson who recently absconded with a 13-year old boy to Mexico. The two were said to have been having a sexual relationship and that’s why they ran away.

But - for as terrible as all of that is - check this out: the 25-year old former teacher is 25; the boy is 13; there is only about 8 years’ difference between the two. The woman already has an 8-year old daughter! The daughter is only 5 years younger than the woman’s current lover.

Here’s the math CNN’s Erica Hill pointed out that almost escaped me: it means that she had the daughter when she was about 13 years old!!!

Now this all sounds bad because, well, it is bad, but think about this: if the woman was sexually abused at/around age 12-13, then she is likely psycho-sexually "stuck" at that age - which explains this pedophilic relationship (and will then most likely form the basis of her defense).

But obviously, there is a huge difference between being sexually abused and simply sexually active. I’m sure we’ll find out more as the story unfolds.

© C Harris Lynn, 2007-08