# Felony Conviction for Casually Recording Friend's Sex Act **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005 "2013-07-20T03:35:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/1 "2013-07-20T03:35:56Z")
20 year old Jake Smith receives oral sex from 15 year old girl. 20 year old Jordan Cowman turns on camera of laptop and records it. Cowman shares video with one person. That person shares video with others who share video with others. Jake Smith’s girlfriend sees video and attacks 15 year old girl. Authorities called. Cowman and Smith get felony convictions. > **[The Des Moines Register - Des Moines, Iowa, News and Sports](https://www.desmoinesregister.com)** > > The Des Moines Register is the number one source for Des Moines and Iowa breaking, politics, business, agriculture, Iowa sports and entertainment news. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/2 "2013-07-20T03:39:24Z")
The conviction was because the girl is 15. From your link. > [@](#): > > He was convicted in May of **third-degree sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of a minor,** class C felonies punishable by a total of 20 years in prison. A judge ruled Friday, July 12 that Smith could serve the terms concurrently, limiting his sentence to 10 years. > > On the same day, Jordan Donovan Cowman, 20, of Knoxville, **pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor.** Cowman turned on the camera of his laptop while sitting in the room where Smith and the underage girl were engaging in the sex act, said Marion County Attorney Ed Bull. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/3 "2013-07-20T04:56:12Z")
Step 1: Don’t have sex with minors. Step 2: Don’t record your friends having sex with minors. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/4 "2013-07-20T05:13:42Z")
One asshole has sex with a underage girl and another asshole records it without her knowledge and posts it online. Both assholes are arrested, convicted, and sent to prison. I’m not sure what the OP’s point is. This seems like a case of the legal system working the way it should. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/5 "2013-07-20T12:24:42Z")
Yup, she was 15 (age of consent in Iowa is 16, with the 14 or 15 close-in-age exemption extending only up to age 19), so the sex act was illegal. She’s under 18 **and** it was filmed without her knowledge, so the filming/distribution is illegal. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/6 "2013-07-20T12:48:30Z")
Yeah, my first thought was “What kind of 20 year old sleazeball hangs around with 15 year olds?” By way of comparison, that’s a college sophomore or junior hanging around and having sex with a high school freshman or sophomore. Really skeevy at the very least, and clearly illegal to boot. This is what statutory rape laws is intended to prevent/punish (along with older men), not 19 year olds and their 17 year old girlfriends doing stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/7 "2013-07-20T13:22:01Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Yup, she was 15 (age of consent in Iowa is 16, with the 14 or 15 close-in-age exemption extending only up to age 19), so the sex act was illegal. She’s under 18 **and** it was filmed without her knowledge, so the filming/distribution is illegal. [Here is the law](http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Cool-ICE/default.asp?category=billinfo&service=IowaCode&input=728.12) under which the person doing the filming was charged. [Here](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/IACODE/2001/728/1.html) is the section of the law which defines the terms used in the previous section. You will notice that “minor” is defined as anyone under the age of 18. Sec 728.12 says > [@](#): > > 1. It shall be unlawful to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, coerce, solicit, knowingly permit, or otherwise cause or attempt to cause a minor to engage in a prohibited sexual act or in the simulation of a prohibited sexual act. Sec 728.1 says > [@](#): > > 1. Unless otherwise provided, “prohibited sexual act” means any of the following: > > a. A sex act as defined in section 702.17. [Section 702.17](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/IACODE/2001/702/17.html) says: > [@](#): > > The term “sex act” or “sexual activity” means any sexual contact between two or more persons by: penetration of the penis into the vagina or anus; contact between the mouth and genitalia or by contact between the genitalia of one person and the genitalia or anus of another person; contact between the finger or hand of one person and the genitalia or anus of another person,… So whether or not the sex act was legal under the statutory rape or age of consent provisions of the law, it was still illegal to film it because the girl was under 18. I can see no provision in the law that addresses the issue of filming with or without the consent of the girl. It appears that it would have been illegal even if she had given her consent. It would probably even have been illegal if she had filmed herself having sex. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/8 "2013-07-20T13:34:21Z")
Regardless of the precise details, I think we can all agree that what both of the 20-year-olds did was illegal, and should have been illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/9 "2013-07-20T15:29:36Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Cowman and Smith get felony convictions. Do you have a problem with that? Seems perfectly appropriate to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@Lion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lion)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/10 "2013-07-20T15:32:37Z")
Seems fair. Next. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/11 "2013-07-20T17:06:34Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > 20 year old Jake Smith receives oral sex from 15 year old girl. > 20 year old Jordan Cowman turns on camera of laptop and records it. > Cowman shares video with one person. > That person shares video with others who share video with others. > Jake Smith’s girlfriend sees video and attacks 15 year old girl. > Authorities called. > Cowman and Smith get felony convictions. > [Home](http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2013/07/19/prison-time-for-knoxville-man-who-was-filmed-during-sex-act-with-minor/article?nclick_check=1) It is nice when the system works as it should. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/12 "2013-07-20T17:15:40Z")
I have no idea why we’re supposed to be outraged that a sleazy jerk was caught and appropriately punished for being a sleazy jerk. Don’t have sex with people too young to consent and don’t record it if you do. Really quite simple. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/13 "2013-07-20T18:21:08Z")
Yeah, I’m confused by the OP here. Are we supposed to be upset about something? Maybe the girlfriend going and attacking the 15 year old was pretty shitty. And I guess the fact he was cheating on his girlfriend was terrible too. Fuck those slimeballs. Yay for the justice system. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/14 "2013-07-20T18:34:38Z")
Yeah, I’m not really seeing the problem here. Here’s some advice to keep in mind as you go through life: Don’t have sex with kids. Also, don’t have **anything to do** with someone who has sex with kids. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/15 "2013-07-20T18:38:15Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Step 1: Don’t have sex with minors. > Step 2: Don’t record your friends having sex with minors. Step 3: Don’t share the video if you do make it. The guys were convicted for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/16 "2013-07-20T18:54:17Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > The guys were convicted for a reason. The reason being they were both felony stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/17 "2013-07-20T18:56:34Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > The reason being they were both felony stupid. They were 20. People make bad decisions at 20. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/18 "2013-07-20T18:56:56Z")
I’m not sure but couldn’t this be titled ‘Felony conviction for casually recording and sharing child/underage porn’? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/19 "2013-07-20T19:01:13Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > They were 20. People make bad decisions at 20. Nobody sets out on anything, planning on ending up in prison. Even people planning on committing crimes don’t plan on going to prison. If you wake up one morning and you’re inside a prison cell, you need to face the reality that at some point in your life you made at least one really bad decision. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005/20 "2013-07-20T19:04:51Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > They were 20. People make bad decisions at 20. And yet somehow most of us manage not to end up in prison for having sex with minors and recording it. I can’t have much sympathy for anyone that dumb. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/felony-conviction-for-casually-recording-friends-sex-act/664005.md?page=2)