13-year-old facing felony sex charges
By
WINK News
Story Created:
Jul 17, 2007 at 10:42 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Jul 18, 2007 at 2:08 PM EDT
Port Charlotte - The charges are serious... lewd and lascivious molestation which is a felony and she's just 13-years-old.
A probable cause report from the Charlotte County Sheriff's office is too graphic for WINK News to describe on air on online, but it tells us it all started with a game the kids allegedly made up. But, this was not childs play.
Charlotte County Sheriff's spokesman Bob Carpenter held up the four and half page report and said, "You name it, there was many different kinds of things amongst these young people." The Charlotte County Sheriffs' Office report says the sexual encounters between the five children, ranging from age 5 to 13 started when one of the children found an adult magazine. Carpenter said, "They made up this game where it was like...you pick out a picture and act out or go through the process through having the sex or whatever they saw in the picture."
Investigators say the kids told them they named the game, 'Truth or Dare Nasty'. The Sheriff's Office says it was contacted about the alleged incidents by the Department of Children and Families in May. Investigators say they interviewed each of the five children, the accused 13-year-old, a five year old girl and three boys ages 7,9, and 10. The Sheriff's office says it determined from the interviews that the 13-year-old girl initiated all contact and even allegedly bullied some of the kids for not performing a particular sex act. WINK News is not identifying her because of her age, but she's accused of a very adult crime of lewd and lascivious molestation. Carpenter said, "This is one of the strangest cases I've seen here."
Child psychologist Steven Cohen says parents need to be honest with kids when they ask questions about sex, especially since kids are exposed to more sexual content now than generations before. Cohen said, "Educate them so they're not getting the answers from people that may not know the truth or have good information to give them." Cohen said the behavior was clearly not normal for any of the kids, but some curiosity about sex is normal. He said, "Asking questions I would say is normal, trying to obtain information, even some explanation as far as showing parts or looking at magazines or pictures...things like that would be pretty age appropriate for kids. Engaging in sexual acts is pushing the limits." Cohen says parents should closely monitor their children, "Monitor what they're watching, where they're getting information, you can't necessarily limit it all, it's kind of impossible nowadays because it's far too easy for kids to have access to information, but you can pay attention. Answer their questions, that's the most important thing."
Detective say the 13-year-old girl admitted to having sex with the 9 and 10 year old boys, but denied all other allegations. She was transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Fort Myers after she was processed at the Charlotte County Jail. She is the only one facing charges because investigators say she allegedly initiated the encounters and there was the possibility of continued aggression.