Exceptions to age of consent?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/1...tody-3-year-old-florida-girl/?test=latestnews

Click on the link for the story.

Basic story? Much older man had 14 yr old girlfriend, got her pregnant.

Was this just a dirty old man and an innocent teen without a clue?

I've seen 14 yr olds with the maturity of adults (granted it is rare and the idea that she got pregnant in the first place negates that) but this was obviously consensual. Some would say it's NEVER consensual with someone that young, even if the youngster believes it because they aren't old enough to make such a decision.

Maybe though, this person was an exception. They did marry once she turned 16 and her mother gave consent for it. They did have two more children.

It sounds like the law caught up with them after they married (and they were married over a decade) and he was charged and made to register as a sex offender. The story is skimpy on the details, but seems to gloss over it almost with purpose, as if they really don't want to be clear that it was his own wife he was accused as victimizing in earlier years.

Now the grandmother is angry. Her daughter passed away a few years ago and a judge finally awarded custody to the father of the child, the deceased woman's husband.

Now the grandmother is horrified that "a registered sex offender" has custody of this child.

Is this always black and white? Are there never exceptions to the age of consent when the feelings are mutual, acted on mutually, and further proven by a decade of marriage?

I'm generally of the opinion that any sex crime with a child should be allowed to result in the death penalty.

However, this case seems different to me. There really are young women who are very mature. One might say this could have been a very romantic love story of romance not caring what age difference existed. One might say this girl was the most mature 14 yr old on earth and ready for this.

But does getting pregnant at 14 speak of maturity? No. Does impregnating a 14 yr old speak of true love? No.

And does a mother sign consent for marriage to someone she honestly believes raped her child, just because there's a baby on the way? I highly doubt it. I see no mention of advocating for custody of those kids while the mom was alive and living with the man. Why now is she concerned? What about the last ten years? Where are the other two kids?

I hate news stories that don't tell you enough of the story!

Anyhow, my point and question is that if this could be an exception to the norm and if this guy really should be labelled a sex offender in the first place.