So today, we have the verdict from the St. Paul's School rape case. Owen Labrie was acquitted from the charge of raping a then 15 year old girl but he was convicted of three counts of statutory rape, endangering the welfare of a child and of using a computer to seduce a minor under 16. That last charge is a felony and he will have to register as a sex offender for life. He could be facing 10+ years in prison if he gets the max sentences.

For those of you who haven't been following this case, Labrie was accused of raping a 15 year old girl. The girl and Labrie admitted to meeting up as part of a tradition known as the "Senior Salute" wherein seniors try to score with underclassmen girls.

After the alleged rape, the girl and Labrie exchanged friendly and flirtatious messages indicating that it was mutually enjoyable. The girl also went to get contraception from the school nurse and reported that the sex was consensual. Later she cried rape.

Here are some interesting quotes:

In a statement, the girl's family said that a "measure of justice has been served" and a partial conviction still requires Labrie "to take ownership for his actions."

He was kicked out of Harvard and will now carry the label of "sex offender" for the rest of his life. Good luck getting a job or even finding housing in a lot of good neighborhoods. His name and face are all over the news media so his reputation is ruined.

And he might still get some serious prison time. All this for banging a freshman while he was a senior in high school.

But the family said the school must also "bear the shame" for essentially doing nothing to stop the Senior Salute tradition.

Yeah, it's all on the school. The little angel obviously has zero responsibility in all of this. Fortunately, the jurors didn't buy her story that she was forced to have sex. All the available evidence points to it being fully consensual.

"We still feel betrayed that St. Paul's School allowed and fostered a toxic culture that left our daughter and other students at risk to sexual violence," the family added. "We trusted the school to protect her and it failed us."

What a disgraceful school indeed. You mean teenagers at this school actually have sex with each other!?

Of course, St. Paul's School has released the mandatory self-flagellating statement:

We must first commend the remarkable moral courage and strength demonstrated by the young woman who has suffered through this nightmare. Her resolve and unwavering commitment to the truth have been inspiring to us and to many outside our School community. We can only hope that time will bring some measure of healing and comfort to both her and her family.

It obviously requires a lot of courage to have consensual sex with a popular kid 3 years older than you and to later cry rape.

The entire St. Paul’s School community has been deeply affected by this incident. It is our responsibility to ensure that our students live and learn together in a community that is built on respect, caring, and support for one another. Anything short of that cannot and will not be accepted. We will continue to focus on teaching our students our core values – that they live honorably, respectfully, and never forget to be kind – and that they learn and grow in ways that lead to productive and respectful relationships throughout their entire lives.”

Yeah because obviously, Labrie was extremely disrespectful to this woman. He called her an "angel" after their encounter and stated "let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

My $0.02: The media ate this story up because it fits so well with the "rape culture" zeitgeist. You've got the innocent little girl who was "targeted" by a "privileged" white male from an elite prep school. There was little mention of the fact that Labrie was raised by a single mother and attended St. Paul's and Harvard on scholarships.

The district attorneys and detectives prosecuting this case obviously relished it as well and they really tried to rake Labrie over the coals. Ultimately, the only thing he was guilty of was hooking up with a girl 3 years younger than himself but it will carry a lifetime of consequences. He has been placed in the same category as middle-aged men who lure young teenage girls into sex through online chatrooms.

The "victim" will get plenty of sympathy and attention. She will go on with her life while destroying the life of a promising young man. This is yet another example of how male sexuality is demonized in our society and how women are always cast as helpless victims.