[Zippy]

Originally Posted by Shasown

Douglas did in fact state at the libel trial that Wilde had solicited 12 boys to commit sodomy between 1892 and 1894. Yet the witnesses he intended to produce and had entered into court roles were all over 18.

well I would assume thats just the ones that could be found. The servants etc. What about the rentboys living on the streets? Presumably thats where he would find the younger ones. Then there's his foreign trips...

I called him a paedo because that is what he would be classed as today if he were conducting the same behaviour. I appreciate it was a different era but Im sure sex with children was still viewed with disgust. Especially by somebody of his age. The age of consent was still 16 round the time of his trial. Obviously there wasn't a gay age of consent but if there was one it would probably have been 2-5 years higher considering what it later became(now its the same).