Gaetz is scum. Good riddance. He regularly used prostitutes and drugs. Statutory raped a 17 year-old in Florida. Florida can’t prosecute without testimony as well. Surely we can do better than this? He dodged a bullet with the DOJ. The women and a friend met with the DOJ and corroborated the evidence but said they would not testify at a trial so the DOJ didn’t charge him. Lucky SOB should just slink off into his private catacombs but he’s probably too stupid to know that. We just might see him in the public eye again because of his ego and need for attention. Another narcissist.
Prostitution maybe morally and legally wrong in most states but it is what it is and anyone who has served or been around any military base or military base of operations, or lives or been to any sizable city knows prostitutes are available.
As for the 17 year old in question:
What was she doing at an adult age party?
Where were her parents?
Why didn't her parents know where she was, and what she was doing?
Why didn't the 17 years old admit she was only 17 prior to the consensual sex?
The question that needs to be asked is: How many of those prostitutes Gaetz paid for sex was under age? Before labeling him a pedophile.
Now as far as prostitution, we had a discussion about the subject and as one member pointed out (paraphrased):
'.....when I pay a whole I know I'm going to get laid. You're Taking still paying for it [sex] when you take a girl out for dinner, a movie, etc, spending all that money on a date. At the end you don't know if you're going to have sex or not.'
As for excessive drinking; I'm sure those of us who have and still do part take in alcoholic beverages have gone above our limit at least once or more. No hypothetic here cause in my younger days I partied heartyed more than a few times. However, I can count the number of over doing it on one hand. Can't say the same for others that were around at the time.
At 15, 16, and 17 years old u hung out with the older crowd 18 and older crowd. Because I didn't act like the idiots in my age group the older crowd accepted and treated me as an equal. Does that mean the women I slept with are pedophiles (Rethorical question)? No! It was consensual sex and I didn't admit my age, even though I knew they were older.
My life experiences have allowed me to be more open minded and less hypothetical to some others.
IMO...Habitual pedophiles still need to be castrated and given a slow, painful, death the same as mass murders and "white collar" above the law thieves. All other habitual criminals just need a slow poison in what will become their last meal.