"In the Congo, women develop quickly, both physically and emotionally, due to the substantial responsibility society places on them from early childhood," Nachman wrote. "In Kinshasa, the vast majority of teenagers are sexually active with men that are substantially older. ... Their main concern is marrying young girls to men with financial stability, a concern dating thousands of years and cutting across cultural lines.Those are the words 42 year old U.S. Diplomat (and prominent nudist) Gons G. Nachman used in defense of his indefensible act of having sex with underage girls during his overseas postings. And that's not all. It is alleged that he even pressured young women applying for visa to have sex with him, ostensibly to smooth the process for them.
There are so many issues that are dredged up by this case. The sexualization of children, for example. Or stereotypes about the promiscuity of women and girls from "other" cultures (read, non-White). However I won't get into all of that right now.
U.S. prosecutors are seeking a 20 year maximum sentence in their case against Nachman, and suffice it to say I hope they get it. Our reputation around the world has been tarnished enough during the past 8 years. We definitely do not need to send the message that our diplomats are above our own laws, based on their "perceptions" of foreign culture and norms.
Because the fact remains that no matter where in the world you do it, its still child abuse.
And here is the rest of it.
