Man jailed after having sex with teen girl he married in video game

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News




Detroit — A Massachusetts man remains jailed today on charges he allegedly came to the city three times last year to have sex with a 13-year-old Detroit girl he wed in an online video game.

John W. Phillips, 54, of Fitchburg, Mass., is charged with 11 felonies including sexual assault, using a computer to communicate with another person to commit a crime, accosting a child for immoral purposes and child sexually abusive activity. The maximum sentences for the charges range from four to 20 years in prison.

Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon said Phillips met the girl while playing RuneScape online and that they chatted online through the game in 2010. He said Phillips unsuccessfully attempted mailing the girl a cellular telephone.

So Phillips brought her the phone in person in February 2010 and had sex with the girl at an Eastpointe motel, Napoleon said. Phillips also is accused of having sex with the girl in his van and at her home.

Napoleon said Phillips and the girl wed in the role-playing game, which allows players to assume identities and interact with other players, some of whom live in other countries.

"They got married in the game," sheriff's corporal Ray Johnson said. "Maybe he thought that was legitimate in real life. It's not."

An investigation was launched into the man after the girl's mother discovered her exchanging texts with someone using a cellular phone, Napoleon said. The girl wasn't supposed to have a phone.

Phillips eluded capture while visiting with his father in upstate New York, Napoleon said. He also dyed his hair, grew out his beard or cut it to alter his appearance and keep police off guard, Napoleon said.

"He didn't want to come back to Michigan and face charges," Napoleon said.

Phillips was arrested in New York and fought extradition to Michigan. It took several law enforcement agencies working together to make the case he needed to face charges here, officials said.

He was arraigned Jan. 13 and faces a pretrial hearing on Thursday in 36th District Court.

The Wayne County Sheriff Office's Internet Crimes Unit sought out Phillips but it took help from the Michigan State Police, Wayne County prosecutors, U.S. Secret Service agents, federal prosecutors and police in Massachusetts and New York to nab Phillips, officials said.

Phillips doesn't have a criminal record, and it appears his only source of income comes from selling "Magic: The Gathering" game cards.

Johnson said the girl's mother worked two or three jobs and wasn't home for extended periods of time.

Michigan State Police Lt. Tom Kish said predators are starting to move from chat rooms to video games that allow players to interact over the Internet and through text messaging.

"It is easy for children to be contacted in nontraditional ways," Kish said. "Internet use has to be monitored."

The alleged victim is undergoing counseling, Napoleon said.

"This has been traumatic for her," he said.

[Godfather]

Nice

[RBP]

wow, not good.

also...

Notice the appropriately severe charges. Ever see a list like that for a female? nope.

[Hal-9000]

What bothers me most about these crimes are the punishments awarded.I read an article that culled the average time molesters served for abusing a minor....it was less than two years.

Yet tax evasion or a straight kidnapping can net you 20 years in jail.

I really believe that the punishments have to be amped up considerably for this type of offense.

[RBP]

I agree Hal. The articles says "The maximum sentences for the charges range from four to 20 years in prison."

11 felonies, so he should get a 44-Life if convicted on all counts.

[Hal-9000]

Some would argue that these people are sick and will continue their behavior no matter what the penalty is...

I disagree with that.Often pedophiles go to great lengths to cover their activities and know damn well inside what they're doing is wrong.Let the sentence become an automatic 25 years, no parole and I bet the incidents decrease, out of fear.

To me, the various sentences for crimes displays a huge non parity in what the justice system considers is a 'bad crime.' Overhaul the whole works IMO.

e.g. I get caught with a couple of bags of weed and some overzealous cop charges me for trafficking and I get 5 years.Meanwhile a young girl is taken against her will, forced into abusive sex and probably will never recover from the physical and mental trauma...and her attacker gets 2 years less a day with a chance for parole???

it just ain't right

[Yt Trash]

WoW

[Godfather]

wow, not good.

also...

Notice the appropriately severe charges. Ever see a list like that for a female? nope.

I considered saying something like this to head off RBP's comments

[RBP]

I considered saying something like this to head off RBP's comments

[Godfather]

Kidding

[RBP]

I know - and I deserve the shit.

[Godfather]

Nah, I think you make really valid points on this topic, but it's also really easy to tease you as a result


It's funny... I've had a lot of really interesting talks on this subject since you first started me thinking about it. Namely with my mother who thinks men are evil But that's a different story

Just the other weekend I told some girls I know (who consider themselves very PC and feminists or whatever)... about that case of the school teacher having sex with a student (remember, the chick I went on about being cute ) I told them all the details I could think of - except the genders. They were all very offended and thought the 'rapist' should be prosecuted and fired and locked away forever.

When I dropped the bomb "Oh yeah, the teacher was an (attractive) woman and the student was a boy"... They are looked like deer in the headlights. The guys in the room started going "OHHHHH what now!!!"

It was really interesting. They all tried to say their opinions stood but you could see they were conflicted and confused. It made for really interesting discussion.

[RBP]

Nice one! Well executed!

[Hal-9000]

Nah, I think you make really valid points on this topic, but it's also really easy to tease you as a result


It's funny... I've had a lot of really interesting talks on this subject since you first started me thinking about it. Namely with my mother who thinks men are evil But that's a different story

Just the other weekend I told some girls I know (who consider themselves very PC and feminists or whatever)... about that case of the school teacher having sex with a student (remember, the chick I went on about being cute ) I told them all the details I could think of - except the genders. They were all very offended and thought the 'rapist' should be prosecuted and fired and locked away forever.

When I dropped the bomb "Oh yeah, the teacher was an (attractive) woman and the student was a boy"... They are looked like deer in the headlights. The guys in the room started going "OHHHHH what now!!!"

It was really interesting. They all tried to say their opinions stood but you could see they were conflicted and confused. It made for really interesting discussion.

Yeah but we talked about that at the other place....

ok first off - having sex with a minor is a crime, we get that.The fact that women offenders seem to get treated less severely is also prevalent.

The thing that throws the wrench is similar to cheesy comments made here - why couldn't my teacher do that with me...or..she's hot, wish it was me staying afterschool.

Unfortunately some males consider it a badge of honor to get with the teacher and are not traumatized by the experience at all...if fact they welcome it.

Still not saying it's right...just that the two genders seem to go through the experience differently.

And in case anyone cares...I agree very strongly with RBP's stance/observations on how females get treated differently when it comes to sex crimes.It has to be equal across the board for everyone.

[RBP]

Thanks hal. I appreciate that.

I am not sure that this is true though: "Unfortunately some males consider it a badge of honor to get with the teacher and are not traumatized by the experience at all...if fact they welcome it." I think we have been fed the mysandry that girls are "traumatized by rapists," but that boys "welcome the advances." I tend the see the potential impact to a teenager's life the same, male or female.