"Baby Sitting" by The Englishman (ESkilton@aol.com). The story is a clear and plausible description of a trusted relative molesting a young girl. I'm sure this newsgroup is full of people who will find this to be erotic. I didn't. When I read a story about a child having sex with an adult, I seem to automatically ask myself whether I would have enjoyed either (1) having this happen to me as a child, or (2) doing this as an adult to a child. There are some things that I am glad I did not do as a child, but which would have been enjoyable. Examples include seducing a couple of my teachers, fucking under the bleachers at the football field, and fondling some of my fellow cheerleaders. These things would have been enjoyable, but they probably would have affected my life in an undesirable way. However, I really do sometimes wish I could have done some of these things - that is, I occasionally wish my value system would have been different, so that I would have felt free to do those things. Since my value system is what it is, and since that part of my life is over, I settle for reading stories about people with different value systems who did do these things.

The situation is different with child molestation. There is a limited sense in which I WOULD have enjoyed being molested as a child by a trusted relative. It's the same sense that I WOULD have enjoyed eating vast quantities of chocolate candy that would have made me puke afterwards, stealing money from my parents' wallets, or pushing fat ladies down escalators. These activities would all have been fun, but I'm glad I didn't do them. In the same way, I'm certain that it would be PLEASURABLE to be seduced and exploited by a trusted adult - after all, physiological reactions occur no matter who stimulates them; but the harm would outweigh the benefits by so much that it's hardly true to say that I "wish" something like that would have happened to me.

Is this an "evil" story - the sort that lends a bit of validity to the arguments of people who say that Internet sex will ruin the lives of children? I don't think so. I think any reader with an ounce of sense can see that this little girl is being manipulated for the gratification of her uncle. I think the overall realism makes it a good story. I think the "religious" people who object to stories like this should have the courage of their convictions and believe that if readers see realistic information, the "truth will prevail." If I knew my children were reading this story, I would simply help them see the shallowness of the uncle's reasoning; and I think they would thereby become LESS likely to be exploited themselves. In fact, this story would be worthwhile reading as part of a course in parenting.

If a little girl doesn't learn about sex from a Benign Opportunist, where would she learn about it? Well, I myself learned to kiss from a pimple-faced kid whom I respected and trusted. I learned to French kiss from a really nice guy with whom I split up because his priorities in life differed from my own. I gradually learned more and more by experimenting with my peers and with my boyfriends in settings of trust and respect. I think most normal people learn this way. And I think the stories on this newsgroup that describe learning about sex in an atmosphere of trust and respect are every bit as sexy and interesting as those that describe exploitation, as this one does.