Should this guy go to jail for 50 years ?

[James]

MSNBC.com

Nebraska man charged for sex with wife, 13
Families support couple, but prosecutor calls union ‘repugnant’

The Associated Press
Updated: 6:57 p.m. ET July 26, 2005


LINCOLN, Neb. - A 22-year-old man faces criminal charges in Nebraska for having sex with an underage 13-year-old girl, although he legally married her in Kansas after she became pregnant.

The man’s lawyer said the couple, with their families’ support, “made a responsible decision to try to cope with the problem.”

Matthew Koso, 22, was charged Monday with first-degree sexual assault, punishable by up to 50 years in prison. He was released on $7,500 bail pending an Aug. 17 preliminary hearing.

After the girl became pregnant, her mother gave permission in May for Koso to take the young woman to Kansas, which allows minors to get married with parental consent. The girl is now 14 and seven months pregnant.

“The idea ... is repugnant to me,” said Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning. “These people made the decision to send their ... 14-year-old daughter to Kansas to marry a pedophile.”

Kansas law labeled ‘ridiculous’
He said the marriage is valid, thanks to the “ridiculous” Kansas law, “but it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to stand by while a grown man ... has a relationship with a 13-year-old — now 14-year-old — girl.”


Bruning, who has said he will seek a second term in 2006, has aggressively prosecuted sex crimes against children since he was elected in 2002

The couple were married in May by a judge in Hiawatha, Kan., just across the state line from Falls City.

Nebraska allows people as young as 17 to marry if they have parental consent.

Kansas law, however, sets no minimum marriage age, although case law sets the minimum age at 14 for boys and 12 for girls. The marriage must be approved by both parents or guardian, or by a district court judge, said Whitney Watson, spokesman for Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline. A judge also must approve if only one parent approves.

Koso’s lawyer, Willis Yoesel, said the girl’s mother and Koso’s parents approved of the marriage. He said the girl’s father has not lived with the family for some time.

‘The families are all united’
“It seems to me like they, as much as they could, made a responsible decision to try to cope with the problem,” Yoesel said.

“The families are all united in this effort,” Yoesel said. “I don’t know who is complaining. ... What benefit is there to anybody in the prosecution of this young man?”

There was no comment from Koso, who does not have a listed telephone number.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8716780/

[jubilance1922]

I'm sorry, but there is NO reason for a GROWN man to "date" a girl that is barely a teenager. What, he doesn't like women his own age?

[Kevin]

If she was 13 1/2 or older, it's technically not pedophilia.

[wrigley]

Yes he should go to jail. He knew enough to know the marriage was illegal in Nebraska, which is why they went to Kansas. If he didn't want to get arrested, they could have stayed there.


Why didn't the mom of the daughter press charges against the man after she found out about the pregnancy? What was she thinking?

[Rudey]

I don't think so.

I think her parents should go to jail only.

-Rudey

[Marie]

Originally posted by jubilance1922
I'm sorry, but there is NO reason for a GROWN man to "date" a girl that is barely a teenager. What, he doesn't like women his own age?

I agree. I think it is completely inappropriate for an adult to have a sexual relationship with a child, whether it is defined as pedophilia or not. I wonder what the laws are in their home state and if he can be prosecuted for having sex with a minor to begin with. In either event, if her parents are too dense to protect her, then I think that it's absolutely the responsibility of the court to step in and do so.

However, since I also think R Kelly should be sent up the river, then maybe I'm just very protective of the kids.

[AchtungBaby80]

I agree that it's inappropriate, but where I come from stuff like this is not unheard-of. There were actually two girls from my 8th-grade class who got married. If the law says it's not illegal, unfortunately there's not a lot anybody can do.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
I agree that it's inappropriate, but where I come from stuff like this is not unheard-of. There were actually two girls from my 8th-grade class who got married. If the law says it's not illegal, unfortunately there's not a lot anybody can do.

When I first read this, I thought you meant that the 8th grade girls got married to each other.

[madmax]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1...C-RSSFeeds0312

He could have done better.

[BetteDavisEyes]

Crystal's mother, Cecilia Guyer, filed a restraining order against Matthew Koso on Sept. 17, 2004.

"He needs to hang around girls and boys his own age group," Guyer wrote in the complaint. "He needs to seek counseling. He has a history of the same, similar with other young girls, and he needs to be stopped here and now."


Obviously this guy has a thing for minors. He's a sicko. All sex offenders need to be jailed.

[a.e.B.O.T.]

the article has a point... no one in the family is complain, and they are trying to give the baby a good life... Now, he did have sex with a minor without before the marriage and therefor the act was illegal... so there should be some penalty becuase even if the parents consented to sex, thats some sort of abuse... 50 years though? I mean common? Your going to rob the man 6 years of dating an underaged girl legally and then ship him back to her when hes 63... thats a little unfair, lol

[33girl]

They look like brother and sister.

And he's obviously got learning disabilities among other things...he is not a typical 22 year old.

Yeah it's gross, but if it's legal, there's not much that can be done about it.

[SOPi_Jawbreaker]

I don't understand why if Crystal's mother knew that this guy had problems, she still gave permission for them to get married in Kansas. If she really felt that the man needed to be stopped, when she found out her daughter was pregnant, she should have gone to the police. I know she might have thought that her daughter would need someone to help her out with the baby and that her unborn grandchild should have a father, but do you really want your teenage daughter to be married to a pedophile and do you really want your grandchild to be raised by a pedophile. I just don't understand how she could have seen this guy for what he is and still allow him to marry her daughter. If the parents had just been dense and blind to the whole thing, I might understand. But if Crystal's mother really did say those things and really did file a restaining order, then why the hell did she give them her permission to get married.

[WCUgirl]

He was released on $5,000 bond in time for the birth of his daughter, Samara, on Aug. 24.

Umm, isn't Samara the name of the little girl from "The Ring?"

ETA: Lol at this quote from the girl: She added that if Samara starts dating a 20-year-old when she is 12, she will "send her to her room."

[_Opi_]

50 years? Harsh punishment

Is he Sick? YESS!!