Even though what they both did was foolish, I think that, as long as OP's son wasn't forced against his will, she shouldn't have life long charges against her for something she did when she was a kid. Also, while OP may be a good father with rebellious kids, a lot of the times it seems, teen parents weren't very educated on sex, and, if that's true, that WOULD be the OP's fault.

@157 I tend to agree with you that one mistake (assuming there is no coercion) made during the teen years, when hormones are unbalanced and the impulse center of the brain isn't fully developed, shouldn't condemn someone for years to come. However, that is exactly what happens every day when the genders are reversed, and that is not ok with me. If we are going to hold members of one gender accountable for the crime then we need to hold members of the other gender accountable as well.

So because some guys get charged with statutory rape, this girl should be too? An eye for an eye hardly seems fair when you could potentially mess up a persons whole life. This girl shouldn't be condemned unless she was the one who personally pressed charges against those guys.

@182 Hammurabi's Code is about vengeance. My comment is about consistent law enforcement, not revenge.

It's not exactly law enforcement when it's up to the parents (normally) to prosecute the offender. Since the law applies only when these things are reported, it's not fair to chastise this girl for the sake of the guys who have been punished. There are plenty of people, guys and girls, who haven't been charged in this situation. Should they all be prosecuted too?

@237 Explain exactly how it isn't fair to hold her accountable? She committed the crime. We either need to change the law or prosecute everyone who commits the crime. That would be the very definition of fair.

Way to awkwardly introduce and incorrectly classify a set of irrelevant laws from about 4000 years ago. We don't need to make her pay for the injustice to men. We need to change the law, or find a better way to distinguish between mutual messing around and one person being taken advantage of.

@243 I am not suggesting she be held responsible for the injustice to men. Clearly a 16 year old girl isn't responsible for the double standards that our society tolerates. I am suggesting that she be held accountable for exactly what she did. Also, age of consent laws are hardly 4000 years old. Historically it has been acceptable for teenagers to procreate for much longer than it has been forbidden.

OP isn't the father, their kid is. Also, protection doesn't work 100% of the time. I think the main problem here is that OP's kid was dumb enough to have sex before he's even finished growing up, when he's still practically a little kid, not that he didn't use protection, which we aren't even sure of. Either way, I think that, if OP didn't have "the talk" with his kid, it's about time, because it's overdue by a few years.

@171 That is the mother's choice, and neither the OP, nor his son, has any say in the matter.