Gabriela Compton-- Schoolboys Fantasy

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/05/gabriela_compton_received_lifetime_probation_for_sexually_abusing_two_boys_.html

        Female sex offenders, like female general offenders receive more lenient sentences compared to their male counterparts. In the article entitled Not Every Schoolboys Fantasy, a women named Gabriela Compton who was a Arizona school teacher at the time sexually abused two teenage boys. She was accused of sexting both a thirteen year old and fourteen year old, sending them topless pictures. To make the situation worse she admitted to having sex with these minors in the back of her van. This establishes that Compton was aware of her actions, and still went through with it carried out this shameful activity. Gabriela Compton was charged with three counts of sexual abuse with a minor, and one other related count. The charges altogether carried a maximum sentence of thirty nine years in prison. She pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse counts, and she received a sentence of lifetime probation. Is this fair? Many argue that she only got off with a slap on the wrist because she was a female. Many questions arose from this article such as, had this been a man would the outcome have been of harsher penalties?  Is her sentence of probation nonetheless justified because women molesting boys is just different than men molesting girls?
       Gender may play a very important role on sentencing in the criminal justice system. Furthermore, I believe that gender may be more influential in determining sentencing decisions than any other extralegal factor such as age, ethnicity and race. If a female is convicted she might receive less time than a man if any at all. Is this fair in a world where all are supposedly “equal’?  One can assume that a female may receive advantages in the criminal system due to chivalry. Chivalry is the theory that men have to protect women and show courtesy to women. In fact the statement “Chivalry is dead” might not be the case within the criminal justice system. In fact chivalry is alive and well and many people may not even realize it.
        This case is a prime example of the differences between men and women in the criminal justice system. In most cases it is believed that a woman can not be the aggressor. In fact the typical thought in sexual assault is that the man is the aggressor and the women is usually passive. Some believe that if a male has a erection then sexual abuse can not take place. For many “sex” insinuates penis in a vagina, and “sexual abuse” or rape is when a penis is forced into a vagina. Rape in the strictest sense of the word depicts that a female sex offenders are not actually able to “rape“. Is the definition of rape to broad? Does this definition have anything to do with female offenders, such as Compton receiving lighter sentences? As we seek justice in equality in our system, is this behavior actually tolerable in our society today? Or do we need to begin to punish offenders regardless of sex equivalently? Lastly should anyone committing the act of rape or molestation ever get the benefit of a lifetime of probation?

http://0-web.ebscohost.com.colib.ccc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2ef07904-cba1-4e8a-ab42-d4dbff7e481d%40sessionmgr111&vid=12&hid=113

http://www.ehow.com/about_5315690_federal-sentencing-guidelines-child-molestation.html