"'Tweens and teens' Epstein told him."

[AndJusticeForSome]

Others echoed that description. Just three months ago, as federal prosecutors were closing in with new charges, Mr. Epstein had a conversation with R. Couri Hay, a publicist, about continuing to improve his reputation. Mr. Epstein asserted that what he was convicted of did not constitute pedophilia, said Mr. Hay, who declined to represent him.

The girls he had sex with were “tweens and teens,” Mr. Epstein told him.

The last paragraphs of The New York Times article.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/13/nyregion/jeffrey-epstein-new-york-elite.html

TWEENS. So weird that Epstein was trying to downplay his pedophilia by using the term "tweens AND teens" as though teens alone wasn't bad enough? He had to emphasize YOUNGER than teens?

[OKNancy]

1. don't shoot the messenger but he is technically correct

A pedophile is someone who is aroused by prepubescent children. No secondary sexual development. Meaning no pubic hair, no breasts etc.

[RockRaven]

2. I guess I'm crazy, but pedophilia vs hebephilia vs ephebophilia is a distinction w/o a difference

Minors are minors, parsing different kinds of minors is a distraction. It was illegal and immoral, full stop.

[DeminPennswoods]

3. States usually have age-of-consent laws on their books

There are places where girls can be legally married as young as their early teens.

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. But even states that allow early marriage

don't necessarily allow sex between unmarried individuals under 16 to 18. Alabama and Utah allow marriage at age 14 with parental consent, but their age of consent is 16 and 18 respectively. In Florida and New York, the age of consent is 18.

[backscatter712]

7. In my experience, the only people who care enough to argue the point tend to be pedos themselves. nt

[JudyM]

4. Ok, maybe he prefers the terms rapist, sex trafficker and pimp.

[Duppers]

5. "tweens" equals preteen

11 and 12yr olds are children.