Push to Change Kansas Law After Child Sex Victim Labeled ‘Aggressor’

A Kansas man who solicited sex from young girls online caught a break from a judge who shaved years off his sentence after deeming the victims, ages 13 and 14, partly to blame. Now the state attorney general is calling for a change in the law to close the so-called “aggressor loophole,” the Kansas City Star reported. “No matter the child’s behavior, child victims are not responsible for the criminal conduct of adults who commit sex crimes against them,” AG Derek Schmidt said. “In my view, the law should reflect that simple principle.” The move is sparked by the case of Raymond Soden, who faced nearly 14 years in prison but was sentenced to just under six years by Leavenworth District Judge Michael Gibbens. “I do find that the victims in this case, in particular, were more an aggressor than a participant in the criminal conduct,” Gibbens reportedly said then. “They were certainly selling things monetarily that it’s against the law for even an adult to sell.”