New York

Seems to me that the prosecutors who cut the deal might deserve the blame. They obviously cut a deal to gain a guilty plea on a lesser charge. Not knowing the quality of their case, I'd hesitate to judge to quickly... but I don't think I would accept a no-jail-time plea deal for any form of rape.

Which raises the second area of confusion (which this time I'll blame on the reporting). When most of us see "rape" in the title, we naturally assume that the story is what NY calls "1st Degree Rape" (which caries a 5-25 year prison sentence). I doubt that's the case. My guess is that this was statutory rape (otherwise consensual but too young to really consent). That doesn't mean that it "isn't rape"... but it is "2nd Degree Rape" which does carry a lesser penalty.