Innocent Exploration or The Work of Deviant Minds?

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MARIETTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Three boys, ages 8 and 9, were charged Monday with raping an 11-year-old girl last week, court officials and police said.

Cobb County, Georgia, District Attorney Pat Head speaks to reporters Monday outside juvenile court.

"Never in my 20-plus years of law enforcement have I conceived of something like this," Police Chief Michael Wilkie of Acworth, Georgia, told CNN.

Clad in blue jumpsuits, the two 9-year-olds and one 8-year-old appeared in court in Cobb County, north of Atlanta, on Monday afternoon and were ordered to remain in custody until a further hearing. Family members were in court for their appearance, which was closed to reporters.

Wilkie said the girl told investigators she was raped Thursday evening. She was examined by doctors after her family reported the allegation late Saturday, and investigators questioned her extensively on Sunday, he said.

The father of one of the boys told The Associated Press that no force was used against the girl, and said the allegations have been leveled because the accuser "didn't want to get in trouble with her parents." Video Watch chief describe parents' reactions to charges against their sons »

But Wilkie said children that young cannot legally consent to sex, "so we have to go with the charges we have."

He told the AP one of the boys was accused of threatening to hit the girl with a rock before the alleged assault.

He also said the investigation is "far from over," and investigators are looking into claims that after the alleged attack, the girl talked about it with her friends at a slumber party, the AP reported.

"The investigators who are following up on this have had a lot specialized training of forensic interviews with children," Wilkie told CNN. "We've sent them to a number of courses for this, and so we're confident that we've done that part of the investigation as best as we can. We think her story at this point is credible and that's why we went forward with the warrants."

He said investigators have lined up counseling for the girl, "and we'll follow up on this and hope that it comes to as best a resolution at the end as we can."

The girl's mother told WGCL-TV in Atlanta, "They do need to be taught a lesson because if they do it to her, they could do it to somebody else. And who knows when they become teenagers what they can do to other girls."

[dartgirl]

It makes you wonder what the enviroment these kids are growing up in. When my boys were that age sex was not even on there minds, heck they didn't even like having to talk to girls.

[learman3]

Some times you really need to wonder what is going on in the world.

From what I remember when I was 8 and 9 sex was not even a thought. There might have been some curiousity because of body differences, but even that would be a stretch.

[scoobertina]

Wow, that one hits too close to home... this was on the news... a big deal around here... but in my opinion... the kids nowadays are getting more adventurous younger and younger..

[miblonde]

I feel sick > how can we protect the children?

[Sneaky]

It makes you wonder what the enviroment these kids are growing up in. When my boys were that age sex was not even on there minds, heck they didn't even like having to talk to girls.
This is heartbreaking. I think it is important to investigate what is going on in the boys homes and lives as well. More than likely they have seen, or been exposed to something they should not have yet in thier young lives. This is not the normal "playing doctor" or exploring. This is violent and abusive and I strongly suspect at least one of them has witnessed this sort of behavior, or was the victim of it themselves.

[p.a]

I will not go so far as to call the kids deviant but 8 and 9 years old is unusual. And I'm not ready to blame the parents until I know more. Kids have many ways to learn lude behavior. Lets see what the investigation digs up before we pass judgement.

[WandaRing]

:tantrum:I'm not trying to blame anyone but this does make me very angry and I could go on about this for hours...I'll try to keep it short...

I think those boys should be arrested and brought before the courts. We allow children to get away with so much today and blame it all on television and video games. Who writes these TV shows and makes these violent video games? Where are the parents? We can blame almost everything and everyone and still not have the answers and these children continue to suffer and act out violently; where and when does it end? We are quick to put young children on antidepressant drugs and other meds for being hyper without getting the “whys, or how comes.”

Like it or not it is not just one thing affecting “our children!” It is our environment; the chemicals they breathe in and in eat the food they eat everyday. It is our society allowing them to believe that they can do what they want and strike out at anyone when they are not happy. Girls are now getting their menstrual periods at 8 yrs of age; boys are starting to mature sexually at around 9 years of age, doctors are very concerned about this early maturity because at this age children do not have the words or cognitive skills to understand what is happening to them.

We cannot blame all parents or say its television or video games, we need to look at everything, we need to get better at helping these children or others will suffer and the violence will get more and more shocking as the years go by. Instead of asking each other why, we should be asking our children and their friends about their feelings and fears, listen to them…and I don’t mean just your own children, leave the door open for their friends too, let them know that they have an adult that is willing to listen to them and help them.

I grew up in foster care and one thing all of us kids had in common no matter our age, was we believed no one, especially adults, cared about us or about children.

[Iwantutowantme]

:tantrum:I'm not trying to blame anyone but this does make me very angry and I could go on about this for hours...I'll try to keep it short...

I think those boys should be arrested and brought before the courts. We allow children to get away with so much today and blame it all on television and video games. Who writes these TV shows and makes these violent video games? Where are the parents? We can blame almost everything and everyone and still not have the answers and these children continue to suffer and act out violently; where and when does it end? We are quick to put young children on antidepressant drugs and other meds for being hyper without getting the “whys, or how comes.”

Like it or not it is not just one thing affecting “our children!” It is our environment; the chemicals they breathe in and in eat the food they eat everyday. It is our society allowing them to believe that they can do what they want and strike out at anyone when they are not happy. Girls are now getting their menstrual periods at 8 yrs of age; boys are starting to mature sexually at around 9 years of age, doctors are very concerned about this early maturity because at this age children do not have the words or cognitive skills to understand what is happening to them.

We cannot blame all parents or say its television or video games, we need to look at everything, we need to get better at helping these children or others will suffer and the violence will get more and more shocking as the years go by. Instead of asking each other why, we should be asking our children and their friends about their feelings and fears, listen to them…and I don’t mean just your own children, leave the door open for their friends too, let them know that they have an adult that is willing to listen to them and help them.

I grew up in foster care and one thing all of us kids had in common no matter our age, was we believed no one, especially adults, cared about us or about children.
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It was the boys decision to rape the girl. The parents didnt decide that for them and tv and videos are not to blame. They are. Its about time that a person is responsible for what a person does and quit blaming it on someone else or other things. They had a choice, they made that choice. They should suffer the maximum concequences for their choices.............according to a court of law.

[Sensual Woman]

I will not go so far as to call the kids deviant but 8 and 9 years old is unusual. And I'm not ready to blame the parents until I know more. Kids have many ways to learn lude behavior. Lets see what the investigation digs up before we pass judgement.

It's not as unusual as you think, hun. As a teacher I've seen sexually active 10 years olds and pregnant 7th graders, kids in middle school giving/getting blow jobs on the bus...It has gotten way out of hand

[p.a]

We are talking 8 and 9 year olds here aren't we? I know kids are getting smarter but I'm not sure that they are that sophisticated at this age. I'm not dismissing what they did nor am blaming the parents who are legally responsible. I am just saying that before I pass judgment, I would like to know a bit more about this case.

[Sensual Woman]

We are talking 8 and 9 year olds here aren't we? I know kids are getting smarter but I'm not sure that they are that sophisticated at this age. I'm not dismissing what they did nor am blaming the parents who are legally responsible. I am just saying that before I pass judgment, I would like to know a bit more about this case.

I understand...but society as a whole is responsible for not teaching kids and adults to take resopnsibility for their actions. It's not a matter of being sophisticated...sexual urges are primitive, basiuc urges, kids are hitting puberty much sooner, and a lot of them are acting on those urges..some with forethought, some without thinking. I don't know which was the case here

[p.a]

It's not as unusual as you think, hun. As a teacher I've seen sexually active 10 years olds and pregnant 7th graders, kids in middle school giving/getting blow jobs on the bus...It has gotten way out of hand

Wow, that is the first I have heard of that. If that is the case then there is certainly something wrong somewhere. But are we now saying that our kids are evil?

We have a 14 year old daughter. We've talk to her about everything since she was in first grade from religion to sex. I think she's ok and " Normal ". She also has boy friends ( Not boyfriend ) who we also talk to from time to time about what is permissable and what is not. The way me and the wife work, there is always an adult at home. No company past dark even in the summer. She does pretty well in school ( math is her strong class ) except for biology. When her grades slump she loses the cell phone until the next report period ( you know how girls hate to not have there little talkie )
In other words we have rules and she has structure at home. I am the nosiest dad on the planet. So far so good.

I also have adult children ( 5 ) from my previous marriage that except for one ( my youngest son ) I had no trouble with. My youngest son was being recruited by a gang. I attribute that to the fact that me and his mom were going through a divorce and he was living with my parents. That got nipped in the bud and he was packed up and shipped off to his mom who had moved to another state during that time. It worked and he now has his own business, a wife, and 5 kids of his own. He's doing very well. Again so far so good.

I just wonder what kind of intervention these 8 and 9 year old kids are getting when they get in trouble? Or maybe I'm just to old school when it comes to kids.