Robert Flanagan sexually abusing a trans girl with Asperger's

[What About Us 1,499]

"A former football hooligan has been jailed for sexual activity with an 'extremely vulnerable' child after advertising to meet a 'fem boy' online. Robert Flanagan, 31, met the 14-year-old boy, who is undergoing gender alignment, on the website Craiglist at the start of August last year, a court heard. Flanagan, who had a sexual preference for 'pre-op transgender males', had advertised to meet a 'fem boy' on the website. The court heard the complainant got in touch after feeling he 'met the requirements' and the pair began to message each other. Soon, phone numbers were exchanged, alongside graphic images. Leeds Crown Court heard Flanagan later told the teenager: 'We'll have to be careful. If this gets out I'll lose my job, my life, everything.' However, he suggested that they meet up and, on August, 22, he drove from his home in Bristol to where the boy lived in West Yorkshire. The pair then travelled in Flanagan's van to a rural area, where they parked up and walked along a footpath before the defendant kissed the boy. The boy performed a sex act on Flanagan before they returned to the van where they had sex. The court heard the 14-year-old had no previous sexual experience. Tom Storey, prosecuting, said: 'The complainant knew that he wanted to be female since he was 12. 'He has suffered from Aspergers, severe depression, OCD and eating disorders, making him extremely vulnerable.'

I know the 14 year old boy with Asperger's was in the wrong, but it was also wrong for the 31 year old football junkie to do that to him. It makes me distraught because I was in a similar situation myself and felt a bit uncomfortable.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3445865/Football-thug-attracted-pre-op-transgender-males-jailed-having-sex-vulnerable-14-year-old-fem-boy-Aspergers.html

There is the article if you want to read more about it.

[Kermit 15,807]

What the actual hell?! 

[What About Us 1,499]

Just now, DominicB said:

What the actual hell?! 

That's the exact phrase running through my mind. 

[Nino 12]

 wtf is wrong with people

[What About Us 1,499]

2 minutes ago, Nino said:

 wtf is wrong with people

I don't know. ;-;

[darkchylde 14,857]

Please change the "femboy" in the title to trans girl. If what you posted in the OP is right, you shouldn't address the victim as a he. 

"The complainant knew that he wanted to be female since he was 12"

This is phrased wrong but common in the media. I assume the victim also suffered dysphoria. Hope they/she can recover from this & everything they've went through, 14 is such a delicate age.

 

Also, "targeting"? Really? This is sexual assault, the victim is a minor. A child, for goodness shake.

[monstereo 1,232]

Robert Flanagan who?

 

I thought this was about someone famous.

[What About Us 1,499]

1 minute ago, monstereo said:

Robert Flanagan who?

 

I thought this was about someone famous.

He's a former British football player, I think.

 

[What About Us 1,499]

5 minutes ago, VenusOddity said:

Please change the "femboy" in the title to trans girl. If what you posted in the OP is right, you shouldn't address the victim as a he. 

"The complainant knew that he wanted to be female since he was 12"

This is phrased wrong but common in the media. I assume the victim also suffered dysphoria. Hope they/she can recover from this & everything they've went through, 14 is such a delicate age.

 

Also, "targeting"? Really? This is sexual assault, the victim is a minor. A child, for goodness shake.

I edited and tweaked a few things. I went through something similar at 14 too and it really made me sad when I saw it.

[Nino 12]

9 minutes ago, VenusOddity said:

Please change the "femboy" in the title to trans girl. If what you posted in the OP is right, you shouldn't address the victim as a he. 

"The complainant knew that he wanted to be female since he was 12"

This is phrased wrong but common in the media. I assume the victim also suffered dysphoria. Hope they/she can recover from this & everything they've went through, 14 is such a delicate age.

 

Also, "targeting"? Really? This is sexual assault, the victim is a minor. A child, for goodness shake.

Some poor child has been taken advantage of in the most tragic way possible and your first thought is that they were misgendered by the media? Is that what's important to you in this? A fixation on "progress"? This is a real person with feelings and a life who has been hurt. Do you think 20 years from now she'll be worried about that time the media misgendered her? Absolutely not, she'll be haunted by the memory of what happened. Grow the hell up and learn what really matters.

[darkchylde 14,857]

Just now, ExplicitBeauty1 said:

I edited and tweaked a few things. I went through something similar at 14 too and it really made me sad when I saw it.

Thanks! This article is so triggering though. I don't see the reason of being so explicit, media nowadays don't know what to do to get attention. Hope you're okay ♥

[What About Us 1,499]

Just now, VenusOddity said:

Thanks! This article is so triggering though. I don't see the reason of being so explicit, media nowadays don't know what to do to get attention. Hope you're okay ♥

Eh, I didn't really like what happened when I was 14. I had other circumstances that happened, but I'm not revealing it at all. Also, like the 14 year old kid, I have Asperger's and severe depression myself and I can be such a mess most of the time although I'm 18 now.

[darkchylde 14,857]

Just now, Nino said:

Some poor child has been taken advantage of in the most tragic way possible and your first thought is that they were misgendered by the media? Do you think 20 years from now she'll be worried about that time the media misgendered her? Absolutely not, she'll be haunted by the memory of what happened. Grow the hell up and learn what really matters.

You do realize we have the ability to talk about two issues at the same time, right? How we can talk about this man sexually assaulting a vulnerable trans child and about the media misgendering her. Being misgendered, specially at a young age, is also extremely painful.

Did my post sound "too SJW" for you? Tell me, what is your problem? Because I, in no way, took away importance from what happened. In fact, emphasized that she was not being "targeted" but assaulted. Maybe the one who needs to grow up and understand that words matter is you.

[darkchylde 14,857]

4 minutes ago, ExplicitBeauty1 said:

Eh, I didn't really like what happened when I was 14. I had other circumstances that happened, but I'm not revealing it at all. Also, like the 14 year old kid, I have Asperger's and severe depression myself and I can be such a mess most of the time although I'm 18 now.

I understand. I've been battling with depression since I was 15. Days can be better but it's always there.

[What About Us 1,499]

1 minute ago, VenusOddity said:

I understand. I've been battling with depression since I was 15. Days can be better but it's always there.

Yeah, I completely agree with that too. Depression sure is a battle at times though.