[offtheisland]

>With all that in mind, I'm dubious that Minsky could have been approached by a young woman and not had some degree of mens rea. At the very least, Minsky must have assumed the woman was a paid sex worker and recognized at least some possibility that she was trafficked and/or underage. I can't abide the notion that a old man would have mistaken the invitations of an uneducated young girl as genuine attraction.

Lots of famous men of all ages are approached by groupies. Some accept their advances, some don't. I've never heard of any of them reporting the fact to the authorities.

[will4274]

Minsky is relatively well known within the field of AI, but he's hardly that famous. Among MIT students - perhaps - but among teenagers in the VI?

If elderly fat mildly famous academics get solicited for sex by random teenagers in the VI on a regular basis, I must have missed the memo.

[bigbugbag]

I've been solicited for sex by random teenagers and young adults on a regular basis in North Africa, eastern Europe and Asia outside of coercion and trafficking despite not being close to be famous or having significant amount of money.

Simply based looking like I'm from a part of the world where life is not as difficult seems to be enough for a number of people living there to take a chance. I could also feel how I was the focus of attention of many who did not dare but were considering making the move. A very strange and creepy experience.

And that was in the streets and public places, I'd expect that in the context of a private party the teenagers who managed to get their way in to be daring enough and trying harder, so I guess we have different views based on different personal experience.

[DanBC]

> outside of coercion and trafficking

You have no way of knowing that.