I'm not sure what "true" has to do with it.

Really? So when the child says, "no, I love Mr. Pedo, I wanted to do that with him because it feels really good and because he told me that when you love someone, that's what you do," that claim is taken just as seriously as an adult's, right? Because she's never then told, "what Mr. Pedo did to you is very, very bad and wrong, honey," right? Riiiight.

Lol....

The toddler's desire to cross the street right at this instant is surely a true desire. Society steps in and says that the child will be better off if she or he is not authorized to make some decisions.

Please don't compare crossing a busy street to sex. Sex is not inherently harmful to children.

I raise again the man who offers two shiny dimes in exchange for the child's grubby $20 bill. At that moment, the man would be making a good deal from the point of view of the child (if young enough).

Your analogy relies on the belief that the feeling of regret is inherent to the situation of adult-child sex.

Then again, maybe negative attitudes towards sex before a certain age are so ingrained in society that feelings of regret ARE inevitable....

Stop it, Ethan, you're making me depressed.

........Anyway, we AGREE that children shouldn't be allowed to consent to sexual relationships with their elders, even though they're quite capable of doing so, and even if (as I believe) their consent counts for just as much as yours or mine.

- Rainbow