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In reply to the discussion: Trump admin denies helping Israeli official charged with child sex crimes in Nevada [View all]Buddyzbuddy
(1,345 posts)remain neutral and to consider the defendant innocent until proven guilty and to some degree society until the case has been adjudicated.
There is also the safety of society that must be considered.
In your example of a $20 bill sticking out of the pocket of an unconscious decoy, it's still a crime. The defendant had a choice, desperate or not. That choice was to take (steal) something that he had no right to. It is a petty, non-violent crime that could be dealt with as such in the penalty phase.
On the other hand, the sting operation, seeks to "lure" any person that is predisposed to illegal, sexually deviant behavior by offering a choice albeit a false choice unknown to the defendant at the time of the illegal act. Whether the sting involves a real victim is of no consequence, the intent to cause a minor person harm is very real. The age of the intended victim is also pertinent in the sentencing phase. The sting's main objective is to remove these predisposed people from society before they actually cause harm to a victim.
It's no different than using fake drugs in a drug sting to set up and arrest a dealer.
The only thing I would agree that is difficult to discuss is the lasting harm that these degenerates cause, but the topic of entrapment vs. a sting operation, I think, is to distract from what I believe your genuine intent is, which is to deflect any responsibility from one individual that you have taken issue with being included with the other 7. From previous posts I've read I understand but I believe it to be a losing argument having defended the indefensible.
I bare no ill will towards you personally and I wish you well. I hope I've shed some light and defended my position well without animosity towards you. I just see this subject as black and white with no gray areas.
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