I think the Tarrant County d.a.’s office may have a thing about getting down and dirty in court. Last year a jury got to watch sex videos of a Kennedale teacher cavorting with willing 18- and 19-year-old students. This week, during the trial of a marriage counselor charged with sexual assault for her consensual relationship with a male client, raunchy text messages allegedly sent by the defendant were broadcast.
Of course, explicit material is nothing new in a criminal court. But our d.a.’s office has lately been burning a lot of tax money to prosecute acts of consensual adult sex that have porny evidence trails. Criminal trials for grownups who’ve made reckless personal choices with other grownups? Guess I’m risking a reputation as an “anything goes” swinger journalist here, but that troubles me.
The more appropriate venue for these situations would be a professional hearing. If the misconduct can be proven, then by all means, yank the licenses of teachers and counselors who use their credentials to get laid. Right now, though, a North Texas woman is accused of, essentially, rape because she had an affair with a man who willingly participated.
But mmm, there are some white hot text messages to be voyeuristically savored –– er, I mean, denounced under community standards of decency. So bring out the stocks and let the public shaming begin!
Let’s see if she floats.