[url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/coronation-street-actor-bill-roache-1772534Bill Roache speaks out on New Zealand television[/url

A mish-mash of selective quotes, and old man with an attitude possibly still set in the 1960s/70s, a religious fervour convinced of a previous and after life, and a dash of sensible comment thrown in for good measure, its his opinion, its not mainstream opinion, it makes good headlines and sells newspapers.

I seem to recall an England football manager being forced to quit over expressing similar sentiments, although aimed in his case at those with disabilities.

Be interesting to see how long it takes ITV to distance themselves from this bat lunatic.

Ken's been raving for decades, it won't even raise an eyebrow at ITV. Anyway, aren't there whole religions that are built around the premise that what you get in this life is a consequence of your conduct in past lives? I remember in an interview once Woody Allen was asked, if there is reincarnation, what he would like to come back as. His answer? "Warren Beattie's fingertips". Anyway, Ken's apologised now. Sort of. www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coro ... es-1773022

Ken's been raving for decades, it won't even raise an eyebrow at ITV. Anyway, aren't there whole religions that are built around the premise that what you get in this life is a consequence of your conduct in past lives? I remember in an interview once Woody Allen was asked, if there is reincarnation, what he would like to come back as. His answer? "Warren Beattie's fingertips". Anyway, Ken's apologised now. Sort of. www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coro ... es-1773022

Silly man.

His agent has obviously gone into overdrive in the last 48hrs or so.

Notice how low profile this story is despite his controversial views.

I'm sure a load of people that read this story are really trying hard to care and find it offensive but at the end of the day its some dude that spent his life acting in Coronation Street.

Its also really easy for a lot of people to simply believe that its Ken Barlow, a fictional character, thats making these comments, which would almost be funny if it were true given whats happened to that wife of his over the years.

Yes that is how I read it as well.
His valid points are IMHO that paedo's should be sought out and his point about girls looking old enough ( anyone who has been out for a drink has probably been shocked when it has been pointed out that a girl that looks 18 is infact underage even though SHE states it isn't so) which if a star so inclined (groupies) can mean they get caught out.

May I quickly point out that I have NEVER been caught out nor have any of my friends but one or two have had close shaves through no fault of their own (The girl claimed she was older than she was).

Also the situation with Saville is clearly more than him being unlucky and just the actions of a dirty old man.

He wasn't old when it started.

Doesn't it depend on their respective ages? An 18/19/20 year old having sex with a 15 year old, thinking she's 16, doesn't seem to me to be the end of the world. A different matter if he's a 30+ year old. Celebs know that they will attract under age "groupies" and that many of them will try to look older. There should be more of an onus on them to make sure, rather just accept that the girl is not under age.

I agree mostly, except I'd say other than asking for a photo ID girls can still lie about their age, and asking a girl for ID can somewhat kill the mood.

I've had consensual sex with at least a couple of eighteen year olds since I turned 40.
But I've known 100% that they were of age because I wouldn't have dared compromise myself.
Does it make me a dirty old man?
I'd say not. There was very little attempt to procure them on my behalf. It was definitely initiated the other way round.
If you're not sure, don't, would be my advice.

This raises an interesting point: are relationships between people where there is a large age gap less acceptable than they once were?

Quite interestingly, you rarely see such couple in the UK these days, but you do seem them on the Continent.

What does this mean? Is it a comment on how generations in the UK tend to socialise within their own age groups, and families don't socialise together as much any more, creating a process of young people being socialised among a range of age groups and equally opening up opportunities for relationships to develop?

Personally I don't think there is a difference between an 18 year old and a 30 year old having sex with an underage individual, whether girl or boy. An 18 year old is an adult and a 30 year old is an adult and neither has any business having sex with a 15 year old.

If in doubt, don't.

And what creates that doubt? You're in a club that has a criteria for entry of being over the age of 18, it would be reasonable to expect that a girl in there is above the age of 16 wouldn't it? She looks around 18/19/20, like most of the other girls in the club. You ask her how old she is and she says she's 18.
What puts any doubt in your mind that she's actually 15?

Is she reading a Judy Blume novel?

In the eyes of the law, yes.

However, in reality, you don't suddenly go from being a child to being an adult in the slick of fingers between the last minutes of your 16th year and the start of your 16th birthday – or any other arbitrary age, for that matter.

Some young people of either sex will appear far older than 14 or 15, and will also behave in such a manner. Whereas some young adults over 16 (or 18, for that matter) will neither look nor behave in an 'adult' way.

Part of that is sheer confidence.

And in terms of navigating through life, most people have to take what they see at face value. Or if they ask someone their age and are told something, and that person is in venue where only an adult should be, then it is reasonable to conclude that they are of age.

Well true but looking back at it he does.

It is either illiegal or it isn't IMHO how old the older person is shouldn't matter and so Roache does have a point. Your point about double checking is vaild however not everyone will say 'Look love I know you say you are 18 but have you go a driving licence on you proving that?'

I'm always tickled by this ID stuff: we mention driving licences as though it's somehow odd or wrong for someone not to drive. I've never had one, because I've never driven. I didn't have a passport until I was 36.

The whole idea of ID is a new one – as seems to be the idea that (gosh, whisper it quietly) teenagers having sex is somehow new.

Is there a distinction between teenagers having sex and anyone over the magic age of 20?

I ask since presumably everyone does know that the majority of teenagers have regular sexual liaisons from way under 16 and all those that involve sex, which is a lot, are technically rapes. Yet many of those posting on these boards did the same themselves when young, and I doubt any feel they did anything at all wrong, or non-consensual, or took advantage.

That is why it is a very difficult area for the law. It is a blunt instrument and has to have a date cut-off point but as Mintball points out, no miracle occurs at midnight on your 16th birthday and there are many ready for sex much earlier, just as there are immature ingenues of 20 or more years, it all depends on both personality and environment.

In the context of a club, though, I'm not sure I see the point. If you were in adults-only club and felt you had to ask a girl if she was 16, I'd suggest you might be a tad unwise to pursue that one. Not least because if she says she is (and is hardly going to say no she isn't) it will not help your defence.

There will always be girls in clubs who are under age but absolutely don't look it or behave it, and frankly unless the young men in the club aren't looking for any action then there is nothing they can do but take that risk, since demanding photo-ID would not often be a winning chat-up line, I would guess. So yes, I agree, in that type of situation you 've little choice but to take things at face value.

But is underage girls in clubs a big problem? I hadn't heard so. I'd speculate that many thousands do turn up and get it, but that the vast majority aren't looking to get laid. Plus, after a few minutes of conversation, unless an underage girl had worked out an extremely good cover story and was a good liar, shouldn't a guy work it out anyway?

Can I ask are you argueing my point as I can't quite tell Minty?
I used a driving licence as just an example.
I know teenagers are and were having sex

Teenagers having sex - surely not ( ha-ha ).