# Lawrence Taylor arrested for raping 16-year-old **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 6, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518 "2010-05-06T15:52:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/1 "2010-05-06T15:52:02Z")
Hoo boy. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36987069/ns/us\_news-crime\_and\_courts/](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36987069/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/2 "2010-05-06T15:57:31Z")
You know, what with makeup and all, some of those fifteen year olds look 16 or 17. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/3 "2010-05-06T15:59:55Z")
Wow. That looks _really_ bad. Well have to see what the evidence is, but I don’t have a good feeling about it. The story says the girl was beaten during the attack. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/4 "2010-05-06T16:05:35Z")
Holy Moly :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/5 "2010-05-06T16:05:54Z")
Geez…just saw this as a “breaking news” bit on NFL Network, and they didn’t mention that the alleged victim is 15. Certainly hope this isn’t true, but I’m not feeling confident about it. Press conference at 2:00. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/6 "2010-05-06T16:07:39Z")
> [@](#): > > ..police were investigating a reported rape that occurred earlier Thursday at a hotel in Montebello. It happened at a hotel? It is quite unlikely that he lured some innocent 15 year old to a hotel. Much more likely that the girl lied about her age and went along to the hotel room for, if not sex fro money if she was a prostitute, then at least sex for attention if she was a groupie. Beating the girl is of course in all ways wrong, but really, I don’t find it much different if the victim, in this particular scenario, is fifteen or nineteen. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/7 "2010-05-06T16:08:55Z")
The CNN article reports the alleged rape happened today–as in the last 12 hours. Of course I’m no lawyer and have no knowledge of this case, but it sounds like law enforcement wanted to move on this in a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/8 "2010-05-06T16:09:01Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > It happened at a hotel? It is quite unlikely that he lured some innocent 15 year old to a hotel. Much more likely that the girl lied about her age and went along to the hotel room for, if not sex fro money if she was a prostitute, then at least sex for attention if she was a groupie. Or maybe she works at the hotel, or was asking him for an autograph. It’s a bad idea to start making assumptions about this stuff when we know almost nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/9 "2010-05-06T16:47:10Z")
It’s a shocking allegation, and I really hope this isn’t true. Waiting to see what details are released… ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/10 "2010-05-06T17:07:47Z")
Ok, I need to be clued in here – sex with a prostitute doesn’t automatically net you a rape charge, but does that change when the prostitute is underage? I mean, she can’t legally give consent, so does that mean statutory rape charges would come into play no matter what? Obviously we’re going to be talking a lot of supposition until we get more details, but I’m curious as to how the legal system looks at this kind of thing. [According to this story](http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/06/report-lawrence-taylor-accused-of-raping-a-15-year-old-runaway/), LT was at the hotel and a pimp brought the girl to the room. Let’s say LT tells a pimp “bring a girl to my room”, and the pimp shows up with this young lady. LT says “how old is she?”, and the pimp and the girl both tell him that she’s 22. Since LT then has no way of knowing her true age, shouldn’t the brunt of the legalities then fall on the pimp? ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/11 "2010-05-06T17:09:12Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Or maybe she works at the hotel, or was asking him for an autograph. It’s a bad idea to start making assumptions about this stuff when we know almost nothing. The linked article says that she was brought to the hotel by her pimp. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/12 "2010-05-06T17:10:27Z")
Wonder whether he has enough money to buy off a 15 year old runaway and her pimp? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/13 "2010-05-06T17:14:50Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > The linked article says that she was brought to the hotel by her pimp. The story’s been updated since I read it. It seems like this is awful in a bunch of ways and he could be charged with a lot of different crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/14 "2010-05-06T17:46:24Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Wonder whether he has enough money to buy off a 15 year old runaway and her pimp? The pimp was arrested too and will rat LT out for a lesser charge. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/15 "2010-05-06T17:57:25Z")
On the sports talk station I listen to on my way to work ([http://www.680thefan.com/](http://www.680thefan.com/)) during the Colin Cowherd show, the host brought up that he and others in sports media were aware that Taylor was having some serious issues but since he is just an ex-jock (although a very talented ex-jock) that there wasn’t much of a story there. I can only speculate, but crack and prostitutes are not a healthy lifestyle choice. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/16 "2010-05-06T17:58:06Z")
The articles are saying Taylor will be charged with third degree rape, which is defined this way: > [@](#): > > § 130.25 Rape in the third degree. > A person is guilty of rape in the third degree when: > 1. He or she engages in sexual intercourse with another person who is incapable of consent by reason of some factor other than being less than seventeen years old; > 2. Being twenty-one years old or more, he or she engages in sexual intercourse with another person less than seventeen years old; or > 3. He or she engages in sexual intercourse with another person without such person’s consent where such lack of consent is by reason of some factor other than incapacity to consent. > Rape in the third degree is a class E felony. So that would refer to her being under 17, and I wonder if (assuming this happened as described) the involvement of a pimp also invokes 3. In New York, felonies are classified A through E, which A being the type that gets the longest sentence and E the shortest. If you’re convicted of a Class E felony, your sentence can be a year to 18 months in prison. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/17 "2010-05-06T17:59:27Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Ok, I need to be clued in here – sex with a prostitute doesn’t automatically net you a rape charge, but does that change when the prostitute is underage? I mean, she can’t legally give consent, so does that mean statutory rape charges would come into play no matter what? Laws vary by state, but I believe that in most states, he’d be charged with statutory rape no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/18 "2010-05-06T18:03:48Z")
Pretty sure that ignorance of age is no defense in any state. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/19 "2010-05-06T18:09:25Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Ok, I need to be clued in here – sex with a prostitute doesn’t automatically net you a rape charge, but does that change when the prostitute is underage? I mean, she can’t legally give consent, so does that mean statutory rape charges would come into play no matter what? > > Obviously we’re going to be talking a lot of supposition until we get more details, but I’m curious as to how the legal system looks at this kind of thing. [According to this story](http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/06/report-lawrence-taylor-accused-of-raping-a-15-year-old-runaway/), LT was at the hotel and a pimp brought the girl to the room. Let’s say LT tells a pimp “bring a girl to my room”, and the pimp shows up with this young lady. LT says “how old is she?”, and the pimp and the girl both tell him that she’s 22. Since LT then has no way of knowing her true age, shouldn’t the brunt of the legalities then fall on the pimp? Statutory rape is a strict liability crime. Even if you ask a girl for ID, and she gives you a state issued ID saying she is of age (fraudulently obtained) you are still responsible. The prostitution angle is irrelevant to that side of things, though I would not be surprised if there are other crimes one can be charged with for knowingly procuring an underage hooker. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518/20 "2010-05-06T18:11:57Z")
I’m wondering who hit the girl. I’ve seen several reports that the girl was hit in the face and required medical treatment, but nothing saying whether it was LT or the pimp… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawrence-taylor-arrested-for-raping-16-year-old/538518.md?page=2)