[user104658]

Originally Posted by Ithinkiloveyoutoo

Is it possible that during that time it was acceptable to do things with younger women, age did not matter and so they thought they were doing nothing wrong?

I've read someone say that, for the ones who were having sex with teenage groupies (not the actual paedophiles abusing children), it was very much "part of the culture"... However, it was still illegal at the time, as they would have known full well, and so the excuse of "bit knowing it was wrong" doesn't really fly.

Consent is a tricky issue, here. It's morally very questionable for grown men to be taking advantage of starstruck young girls and they should face the consequences of that.

HOWEVER, I'm not comfortable with sexual acts with post-pubescent teenage girls being lumped in with paedophilia. It ISN'T paedophilia. The severity of actual paedophilia demands that there be a strong distinction, in my opinion. There already is a legal one: statutory rape and child molestation are very different charges... But in the public eye, people (perverts and sex offenders though they may be) are being branded "paedophiles" when they simply are not.