Community Chat

[Pearlee]

I didn't see the BBC one; I saw a different one.

[dulwich]

@Venezia  You obviously have not followed our Duke of York’s ‘misadventures’when he was our U.K. Trade envoy over the last 10 years and the very questionable people he entertained/had official meetings with all on expenses, of course, and always seemed to go via private planes via top golf courses, ski slopes, exotic islands which gave him a new nickname in the U.K. ‘Aimless Andy’.

Some of his ‘best’ trade envoy business meetings are very well documented from a meeting with a ‘notorius’ member of the former Tunisian Regime - now under investigation for money laundering.

Using a  ‘business trip’  - all expenses paid - to sell his own home to the President of Kazakstan’s son in law who ‘paid 3 million pounds over the asking price - good deal that one!

Holidaying with a Libyan gun runner and smuggler when on ‘official’ trip.  Could go on and on but Aimless Andy holidaying, living the good life with these types of people.

There are so many of these totally inane ‘business meetings’ no wonder he was asked to step down many times over the past 10 years as his judgment not good not to mention dear Fergie posing as a secretary trying to sell his ‘birthright’.    Oh but, of course, these are all mistakes!

Indeed a charming couple - glad you admire them we in the U.K. Not so much.

[Porcelain]

Don't be so sure he won't be charged. The truth still exists no matter how hard people try to cover it up. The truth always comes out. If any of the accused are innocent, the truth will only exonerate them

We've barely even begun to unravel that network. Anyone who benefitted from the exploitation is going down. Karma doesn't play around.

[Porcelain]

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@beach-mom wrote:

@Pearlee and @Venezia - I haven't seen any of the specials about him. If I had, maybe I'd feel different about the situation. Of course I don't know what went on. I STILL don't think he'd be that stupid!

Here's where I'm coming from. Way back in the "My Space" days, my friends'son was lured by a 13 year old saying she was 19. I saw the picture she sent him. She was half dressed, turned sideways looking over her shoulder. She looked a lot older that 13. He was 22 at the time. I had been around him a lot. Nice boy, great family, VERY good looking, good job. Anyway they chatted, after a few weeks found out they had a lot in common (or so she told him), and agreed to meet. Before they met, her brother found out, told his parents, and contacted my friend's son saying she was only 13 and to "leave my sister alone." My friend's son apologized and backed away. But she contacted him again, complimenting him, and telling him she loved him, and it was OK, they were "only" 9 years apart, blah blah, blah. By this time he had feelings for her too (again thinking she was 19). But he still broke off contact, telling her he couldn't believe she lied to him about her age. A few days later she contacted him asking him to meet her at the local mall to say goodbye (they had never met in person). He said OK (which was REALLY stupid of him). You probably know what's coming - the last time she contacted him, it wasn't "her," and the police were waiting for him. He went to jail. He wasn't there long, but his employer told him not to come back. A lot of us wrote character statements about him for the trial. Her mother went to the local news, who of course did a major story about it, so my friends didn't think he had much of a chance. In the end, the judge found him not guilty and his record was cleared. He now has a job he likes even better than the first, and is engaged. But what my friends went through, all because some girl lied to him - there is so much more that impacted his whole family. As their friend, I was angry that something like this could destroy someone. 

And this isn't the only experience I have with this. Another male friend of mine was falsely accused. It took 3 years for him to clear his name. 

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Your friend's son was 22 and went to go meet a girl he knew at the time was 13. He made an adult decision and suffered the consequences. I'm glad the police got him.

[wildcat fan]

I've read that Ghislaine Maxwell's emails were hacked.  I hope there's some evidence there to shed some light about Andrew's involvement with Epstein.

[occasionalrain]

@Porcelain  That's unfair. An adult can have a friendship with a minor. What about scout leaders, Big Brothers and Sisters, friendly neighbors. I used to visit a neighbor who was a stamp collector. My child had a friendship with a neighbor who had rabbits. Meeting at a public place on her request to  say good bye is either innocent, or entrapment.

[jeanlake]

If you've had a deviant person in your extended family, you'd see more than one personality. The family personality and their social orientation personality. Yep. I can believe people would do things in secret and run and hide when they're discovered. 

[Porcelain]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

@Porcelain  That's unfair. An adult can have a friendship with a minor. What about scout leaders, Big Brothers and Sisters, friendly neighbors. I used to visit a neighbor who was a stamp collector. My child had a friendship with a neighbor who had rabbits. Meeting at a public place on her request to  say good bye is either innocent, or entrapment.

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Yes. I accept that there are innocent interactions between adult men and teenage girls. But you said yourself he was physically attracted by her "adult" looking come hither sexy shoulder picture...Goodbye can be said in an email. As the adult he was expected to act like one, show restraint, and do the right thing. Instead he did what he did and got what he got.

I think we need to agree to disagree about the justice of this.

[stevieb]

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@GenXmuse wrote:

Why give him the benefit of the doubt but not Markle? 

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 So sort of have to shake my head here... Throughout the several Harry and Markle threads there have been numerous questions as to how there can be so much focus on them, given Andy's peccadillo... So, someone starts a thread about Andy and what do we get... Meghan. Yet again, like Meghan herself, folks simply can't have it both ways...

[beach-mom]

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@Porcelain wrote:

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@occasionalrain wrote:

@Porcelain  That's unfair. An adult can have a friendship with a minor. What about scout leaders, Big Brothers and Sisters, friendly neighbors. I used to visit a neighbor who was a stamp collector. My child had a friendship with a neighbor who had rabbits. Meeting at a public place on her request to  say good bye is either innocent, or entrapment.

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Yes. I accept that there are innocent interactions between adult men and teenage girls. But you said yourself he was physically attracted by her "adult" looking come hither sexy shoulder picture...Goodbye can be said in an email. As the adult he was expected to act like one, show restraint, and do the right thing. Instead he did what he did and got what he got.

I think we need to agree to disagree about the justice of this.

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@Porcelain and @occasionalrain - You're right @Porcelain - he should have known better. But he went. Knowing him as I do I'm not surprised. He is a kind man who will help anyone and has, and tries not to let anyone down. Sure he was young and foolish, but I really believe he was trying to make her happy by going in person. I also believe he intended only to say goodbye.

It was a long time ago and he's fine. No one in their friend circle ever mentions it, and his record was completely cleared. The judge in the case did the right thing, and he didn't take long to decide. 

BTW they "found" each other back then because he posted something about a book he'd read. She was one of the people who responded to that. She saw his picture. They were in a group chat thing for a while before  forming their own "chat." (I'm not sure exactly how it worked or works now. But this is the main reason I'm not on Facebook!)