Senate President J. Stuart Adams from Utah has recently come under fire for changing Utah laws so that his relative will get a lighter punishment. That’s because the 18-year-old relative in question sexually abused a 13-year-old. Hence, the offender managed to avoid jail thanks to Senator Adams’ bill, a move that Adams clarified wasn’t motivated by familial ties.
This whole legal development and battle was covered by the Salt Lake Tribune. Adams suggested the Utah Legislature amend the existing consent laws. Prior to the change, 18-year-old adults who engaged in sexual activity with 13-year-olds faced first-degree felony charges of child r*pe, a conviction that typically requires sex offender registration.
The revised law introduces a new, lesser charge. Now, prosecutors have the option of charging 18-year-old high school students who have sex with 13-year-olds with a third-degree felony for unlawful sexual activity. This charge is notably less severe and does not carry mandatory sex offender registration.
Under Utah law, individuals under 14 cannot legally consent to sexual activity. Thus, critics say the timing and motivation behind the bill raise serious concerns. However, Adams insists he had no influence on the bill’s creation, and public skepticism has grown.
“Some have suggested this change was made to benefit the case I was made aware of involving the high school senior. That is simply not true,” Adams said in a statement. I did not request the legislation and did not intervene or give input,” according to Adams, transcript courtesy of Salt Lake Tribune
Meanwhile, the 13-year-old victim’s mother was disappointed by the new system put in place, as her child will no longer get the justice she deserves. She has since voiced her concern about the new justice system in place, thanks to the senator’s alleged intervention.
“It was out of nowhere. I felt like I was punched in the gut. I feel like a law is the law, regardless of who you are, but that wasn’t what was going on here. I feel like [the 18-year-old] just got special treatment … and nobody was going to say anything about it,” says the victim’s mother
People are Furious, but not Surprised
Senate President J. Stuart Adams is also a Republican Senator for Utah. While the sexual offense was carried out by his unnamed relative and not himself, people online have no doubt linked him to the matter, especially now that his alleged intervention managed to protect someone from a sexual abuse offense.
In the past, actual Republican lawmakers and state representatives have also been caught and charged with sexual abuse crimes, particularly carried out against minors. Meanwhile, Adams’ critics have also given out their own tirades on the matter and how it’s a clear-cut case of good-old abuse of power to help out a relative, even though Adams himself stated it wasn’t.
“If I understand correctly, this wasn’t some statutory r*pe-type situation, where the victim ‘consents’, but cannot legally consent, it was just a legal adult seriously abusing a kid, and he gets a relative slap on the wrist because he was still going to school. That not a ‘serious mistake’, that’s psycho,” says lego_not_legos
“Will there ever be actual consequences for these horrible criminals?” asks AlienInUnderpants
“I have to wonder if @JStuartAdams would have done the same thing if he had been related to the 13-year-old child instead of the 18-year-old. Would the charges still be too harsh?” reasons out @StLisaOfPizza
