“My client pleads ‘not guilty’ because he doesn’t know what ‘assault’ is”

Many people have blogged about why it should be considered a sex crime, NOT a scandal, to steal someone’s nude photos and put them on the internet without their consent. I wholeheartedly agree, and don’t have much more to add. But what I’m curious about is the mindset of the hacker(s) and others like him/her: people, possibly sociopaths, who live with a dangerous sense of entitlement to others’ bodies and don’t consider themselves predators for misusing them.

Against my better judgment, I’ve read several tweets and article comments that clearly demonstrate we, as a society, don’t have a clear understanding of what a “sex crime” is. Of all the possible crimes that cause direct harm to a victim, we still have this idea that assault victims play a role in their victimization. She chose to take nude photos of herself and store them in her phone. She chose to put on a revealing outfit and go clubbing. Yet we don’t criticize someone nearly as much for hiding a spare key under their welcome mat and finding their home burglarized.

The average person who thinks nothing of looking at a stolen photo of a naked celebrity, or having sex with someone who’s too drunk to consent, may claim ignorance and plead “This is what guys do.” I, however, think they are more cunning than that. I think in cases like these, the foreknowledge that a victim will be held responsible is a prime motivator for would-be assailants. They are well aware of the stereotype that having an X and Y chromosome makes one a perv by default, and they use this to their advantage.

But is there a slim chance that some men are truly ignorant about the definition of assault? This is an idea I want to research for my next book:

Adelaide Scott, esteemed romance columnist for Stunning! Magazine, is smitten with her new boyfriend, Jordan Johnson…until one of his ex girlfriends accuses him of something unthinkable.

To prove his innocence, Jordan gives Addie a list of all his former girlfriends to ‘interview': to prove he’s the good man he claims to be.

Addie will find out the truth…but it’s nothing like she expected.

It may sound crazy, but this I didn’t know it was wrong! behavior is the most common form of sexual assault, and it deserves to be explored.