San Pedro boxer accused of raping teen had fight of his life inside his head
It was difficult to watch. Just before Dwight Mitchell Waters' preliminary hearing was to begin yesterday in Long Beach, he had to decide if he wanted to spend six years in prison and be called a rapist for the rest of his life or fight on against the charges and risk being sent to the pokey for about 24 years if he is convicted at trial. It was a Catch-22 of epic proportions because Waters, 39, didn't believe he had committed a crime by having what he thought was consensual sex with a 13-year-old girl who he gave boxing lessons to.
The problem was, the girl was set to testify that the sex they had was not consensual. But even if a jury down the road were to believe him instead of her, he still has problems because he could be convicted of lewd acts on a child.
His defense attorney met with his family, and then he was allowed to talk with them privately in court. When Judge Arthur Jean took the bench, he wanted an answer. The hour was getting late and the law said Waters needed to have his prelim that day ... as did another accused rapist that the court needed to get to. Waters, a handsome man with almost model features, sat quietly with his hands cuffed when pressed to make a decision. This went on for the better part of a half hour.
"Everything in life is a compromise and this is the label the prosecutor insists on," Jean told Waters. "If you want to fight the label, feel free.... The question is, what do you gain or accomplish?"
You can see the full story here.
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Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
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Denise Nix knew as young as grade school, when she spent every summer working on the camp newspaper, that she wanted to be a journalist. Denise has spent most of the last 12 years of her career in the courtroom. She joined the Daily Breeze in 2001, where she tracks and reports on hundreds of cases at every level of the justice system. And she's never, ever, seen a judge use a gavel.
E-mail Denise at denise.nix@dailybreeze.com.
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Consensual or not...the GIRL was 13!!!
Dude...how 'bout you try to have sex with a girl who didn't just get her training bra last week in 6th grade!
No doubt the girl was flattered that an older man thought her attractive and probably was okay with getting 'frisky' with him until it went too far, but he's the supposed "adult" who should've known this was wrong on about five levels.
And where are the parents at? She's Myspacing and calling a 36 year old dude on her cellphone for 3 months? I check my daughter's Myspace every day and would probably raise more than an eyebrow if I saw her chatting back and forth with a 36 year old....
And...to Denise Nix...the author...why would this be difficult to watch? A pedophile should get what is coming to him...whether he be called a rapist for the rest of his life or go to prison for the better part of it.... I wouldn't find it hard to watch at all.
He was 36.
She was just out of GRADE SCHOOL.
Am I missing something?
A couple things in response to "Seriously?":
One thing I forgot to mention here and in the story is that the whole jig was up when her parents caught on. I'm not making any opinions one way or another on that. I'm just saying.
Second, what I meant by "difficult to watch" was more about his indecision and the tension that filled the courtroom with his family, the judge and prosecutor waiting for his answer. I didn't mean it in an "I feel bad for him" kind of way.
Hope that clarifies things a bit.
Okay....the guy is STUPID beyond words because even if she wanted him, the law says No. The guy SHOULD get time in jail - but we should be able to distinguish between a violent rapist and a STUPID man who COMMITTED STATUTORY RAPE.
With that said, I don't believe for one minute he raped her. I think her tears are embarrassment for what happened and guilt for what he's going through. Her parents found out - she was busted. No doubt she enjoyed the attention from an older man. Where was her father? No doubt she showed up looking like Britney Spears too....should it matter, I don't know. Why don't we teach our girls to dress a little less like sluts and maybe they won't get slutty atttention.
How funny that we tell men/boys to stifle their sexuality, but girls are allowed to flaunt theirs to no end and it's become an acceptable behavior.
Did he manipulate her, perhaps - but she continued the relationship after he first raped her? Come on.....
The guy should go to jail - but let's not pretend he abducted a stranger off the street and violently raped her. Guys who commit this type of crime get more time than this guy is looking it.
I also think he should have taken the plea.
Thanks for clarifying...as I vomited a little in my mouth when I took your opening statement as empathetic...
Good thing her parents finally caught on...one more ditch day and she might've gotten pregnant.
Or not...
Because...who knows...she was 13...maybe she hadn't even gotten her first period yet...
He has to be the stupidist guy alive if he believed having sex with a 13 or 14 year old was okay as long as they gave consent. You should have took the deal dummy.
The phrase "Jail Bait" has been out since "forever". What was Mitch thinking? No "kid" is that "hot"! This man needs some "down" time. May God give strength to the families hurt and shamed by this.