President J. Stuart Adams statement on false information and blatant lies:
“Sen. Nate Blouin’s recent attacks exemplify misleading political grandstanding fueled by misinformation and deliberate distortions. He has repeatedly contributed to spreading blatantly false information, relying on fabricated and sensationalized narratives that ignore both the facts and the intent of the legislation.
“Contrary to fabricated and baseless claims, the law is not retroactive, does not alter the legal age of consent and does not apply to incidents of rape, aggravated sexual assault or offenses involving force, coercion or threats. Moreover, many misleading reports have made assumptions about the genders involved.
“Even the judge noted during sentencing that “…I had two young people both in school that engaged in what would’ve otherwise been consensual sexual activity but for the age of one of the participants.’”
“The individual took accountability and pled guilty to a second-degree felony. Under the new statute, the highest possible charge for such a case would be a third-degree felony. It’s important to emphasize that harsher penalties remain in place for rape and forcible incidents.
“Multiple recent articles have irresponsibly propagated misinformation driven by political motives rather than facts. These sensationalized and inflammatory pieces intentionally distort a law rooted in fairness and justice, focusing on a narrow, forward-looking policy issue rather than any individual case. Attempts to politicize this not only distract from its purpose and undermine constructive public discourse but are nothing more than politically motivated, blatant lies, plain and simple.”