Creep of the Week - June 28, 1997
He feels like someone just punched him in the stomach. His heart skips a beat. His shoulders sag. His balls, which got him into this fix in the first place, retreat high into his body, never to return to normal. What does he do now? She's waiting for his reaction. Back in the Good Old Days of Innocence, a guy did the Honorable Thing. He made an Honest Woman out of her by abruptly halting whatever dreams he might have had and marching her up the aisle to a hastily planned wedding. Sometimes he was encouraged up that aisle through the benefit of her father's shotgun up his ass, but he went just the same. Not the best way to start a family, but that was the way it was done.
Things are different now. It's "Hey, babe, it's been nice knowing you" or "How do you know it was me?" or "This is all your fault!" Chivalry is not what is was, and frequently the girl is left to deal with this crisis on her own, while the young Dad continues his teenage pursuits. But there are a few Gentlemen left. Kevin Gillson, 18, from Port Washington, Wisconsin (pictured above) is one. When he got The News from his 15-year-old girlfriend earlier this year, he did the Honorable Thing. He agreed to marry her and even quit school to get a job so his new young family wouldn't have to depend on welfare to get by. I don't think we need to build monuments to commemorate guys like this, but a pat on the back and some support from the community would be nice. He made a mistake, one that will affect at least three lives forever, but he's willing to sacrifice in order to make the best of a bad situation. Sound good? Anyone disagree?
Well, yes. After Kevin admitted fathering the unborn baby, Ozaukee County District Attorney Sandy Williams brought sexual assault charges against him which carry a possible sentence of 40 years in prison. It seems that Wisconsin does not recognize consensual sex when one partner is under 16. There are cases when laws like that are beneficial, but this is not one of them. Isn't common sense supposed to prevail? Sandy defended her decision to prosecute Kevin, saying "Does it mean that because he said he's sorry, we're supposed to close our eyes to it?" Seems like some minds have been closed, too. While he was free on bail before and during his trial, one of the conditions was the Kevin could not see his girlfriend! Here's a guy willing to do the right thing and provide some support for a young girl in a vulnerable situation and the DA says "No - You're a Sexual Predator! You're a menace to young girls everywhere and we want to whack your peepee!" Kevin was convicted and although he received only probation, he is still a convicted sex offending felon. That means he has to register with local police, provide a DNA sample and is barred from activities involving children.
Where have the Family Values bigots been on this one? We didn't hear from our Chaperone-in-Chief Bill Bennett and The Southern Baptists are too busy trying to sneak into Disney World without their minister's knowledge. What kind of message does this send to other young couples in similar situations? In order to avoid being charged with sex offenses by self-righteous prosecutors, you can
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