Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for 3yrs

[Ockham]

BY Melissa Grace
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Thursday, December 9th 2010, 7:46 PM
Updated: Thursday, December 9th 2010, 7:46 PM

A popular Columbia professor was charged Thursday with incest - accused of a sick sex relationship with a female relative, prosecutors said.

Political science Prof. David Epstein, 46, bedded the young woman over a three-year period ending last year, according to court papers.

He was arraigned before a Manhattan judge on a single felony incest count.

"We ask that everyone remember that he is innocent until proven otherwise and that these allegations are nothing more than allegations," said Epstein's defense lawyer Matthew Galluzzo.

University spokesman Robert Hornsby said that Epstein "is now on administrative leave and will not be teaching students."

Epstein, who specializes in American politics and voting rights, has taught at Harvard and Stanford and often is quoted by news organizations. He also has blogged on The Huffington Post.

Sources said the victim was over 18 when the relationship began in 2006 and that the two often exchanged twisted text messages.

Epstein faces up to four years behind bars if convicted.

He was released on his own recognizance.

Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for 3 years

Somehow the relative being 18 or older during this doesn't make it less disgusting / creepy / sick / etc. I thought all parents tell their kids the penalty for incest is a monster baby with 4 heads?

 

[The Mark]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

BY Melissa Grace
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Thursday, December 9th 2010, 7:46 PM
Updated: Thursday, December 9th 2010, 7:46 PM



Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for 3 years

Somehow the relative being 18 or older during this doesn't make it less disgusting / creepy / sick / etc. I thought all parents tell their kids the penalty for incest is a monster baby with 4 heads?

Is this illegal? I'm not too clear on what laws govern relationships that involve incest…

Sure, it’s sick, IMO.

But then, I think Americans are far more prone to judge harshly in such matters, as opposed to the rest of the world…

Some cultural aversion we have, dunno the source…

 

[Harshaw]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Do other cultures condone sexual relationships with daughters, sisters, aunts, or nieces? 'Coz those are the only possibilities in this case according to NY law:

A person is guilty of incest when he or she marries or engages in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with a person whom he or she knows to be related to him or her, either legitimately or out of wedlock, as an ancestor, descendant, brother or sister of either the whole or the half blood, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece. Incest is a class E felony.

 

[marduc]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

BY Melissa Grace
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Thursday, December 9th 2010, 7:46 PM
Updated: Thursday, December 9th 2010, 7:46 PM



Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for 3 years

Somehow the relative being 18 or older during this doesn't make it less disgusting / creepy / sick / etc. I thought all parents tell their kids the penalty for incest is a monster baby with 4 heads?

Some kids think a 4 headed monster baby would be really cool.

Why is "The Daily News" compelled to include opinion in their article - or was the relationship based on having sex while actually sick?

edit: and yes my opinion is that it is sick as well.

 

[The Mark]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Do other cultures condone sexual relationships with daughters, sisters, aunts, or nieces? 'Coz those are the only possibilities in this case according to NY law:

I don't know....

I think most cultures would consider that wrong, actually...

I was speaking more along the lines of 2nd, 3rd, 4th cousins and the like - much more distant relatives than what NY law appears to address.

The article does not go into the exact relationship (not sexual, ya perverts) between the professor and his relative, but if that NY law you quote is accurate, I think most of the world would consider it sick.

 

[Harshaw]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

The law is accurate, so if he's charged under it, she must be one of those relatives listed. (Of course, if she was over 18, then she can be charged, too.)

 

[The Mark]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

The law is accurate, so if he's charged under it, she must be one of those relatives listed. (Of course, if she was over 18, then she can be charged, too.)

I was wondering about that...Why does the article refer to her as a "victim"?

If she was over 18, one would think she was capable of recognizing the situation…

The article isn’t at all clear on the details – but perhaps more information will come out later?

 

[Ockham]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Some kids think a 4 headed monster baby would be really cool.

Why is "The Daily News" compelled to include opinion in their article - or was the relationship based on having sex while actually sick?

edit: and yes my opinion is that it is sick as well.

Good point. I guess my revulsion to the story just made that opinion comment about it being sick, just glide on by.

 

[MaggieD]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

The law is accurate, so if he's charged under it, she must be one of those relatives listed. (Of course, if she was over 18, then she can be charged, too.)

That's an excellent point. Good catch. And it does state that she was at least 18 when the relationship began.

Frankly, I think it's an archiac law that should be stricken from the books, as they say. Two adults having consensual sx. Done and done.

 

[Ockham]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

That's an excellent point. Good catch. And it does state that she was at least 18 when the relationship began.

Frankly, I think it's an archiac law that should be stricken from the books, as they say. Two adults having consensual sx. Done and done.

Really? Two adults who are "brother and sister" having consensual sex and even a pregnancy is cool with you huh?

 

[Hoplite]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Really? Two adults who are "brother and sister" having consensual sex and even a pregnancy is cool with you huh?

Is there a reason it shouldn't be?

 

[The Mark]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Is there a reason it shouldn't be?

Mostly it’s a moral issue, but partially it’s an issue because (as I understand it) children born of parents who are too close genetically tend towards more birth defects and the like.
I think the Amish here in the USA in some areas have that issue, although I’m not entirely clear on the details – they basically limit their reproductive choices to those that have their beliefs (unless someone joins their faith?), and since the majority of those who believe in their way were born into it, after a time it has an effect.

That genetic bit (while less than clearly understood at the time) is, I think, the basis for the moral aspect, really…

Whatever religion was involved decided it would be best that people reproducing be as far from genetically similar as possible, thus the stigma attached to relatives mating.

Now, in this day and age, with birth control, abortion, and the like, it may be less of an issue in terms of reproduction – But I cannot deny that if I found out some female I got it on with was related to me, I would be slightly disconcerted, at the least.

 

[Hoplite]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Mostly it’s a moral issue, but partially it’s an issue because (as I understand it) children born of parents who are too close genetically tend towards more birth defects and the like.
I think the Amish here in the USA in some areas have that issue, although I’m not entirely clear on the details – they basically limit their reproductive choices to those that have their beliefs (unless someone joins their faith?), and since the majority of those who believe in their way were born into it, after a time it has an effect.

A first generation pairing would have a slightly higher risk, but overall their chances of having birth problems stemming from their genetic similarity would be relatively low at first generation with chances improving with successive generations.

Now, in this day and age, with birth control, abortion, and the like, it may be less of an issue in terms of reproduction – But I cannot deny that if I found out some female I got it on with was related to me, I would be slightly disconcerted, at the least.

I agree I wont be looking for mates at a family reunion anytime soon, but I dont really see a reason to recoil with disgust at the idea.

 

[The Mark]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

A first generation pairing would have a slightly higher risk, but overall their chances of having birth problems stemming from their genetic similarity would be relatively low at first generation with chances improving with successive generations.

I suppose that's why the Amish (and any group with a similar setup) have issues, if my info is correct...

I agree I won’t be looking for mates at a family reunion anytime soon, but I don’t really see a reason to recoil with disgust at the idea.

See, I suppose the stigma is just stronger in my psyche...because I most likely would be recoiling in disgust unless it was my 3rd cousin or something…

 

[Whovian]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

That's an excellent point. Good catch. And it does state that she was at least 18 when the relationship began.

Frankly, I think it's an archiac law that should be stricken from the books, as they say. Two adults having consensual sx. Done and done.

Not sure my brother would agree if I was boffing his daughter...

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Frankly, I think it's an archiac law that should be stricken from the books, as they say. Two adults having consensual sx. Done and done.

See, it's cases like this that make me think that the whole "consenting adults" argument is misguided. There are plenty of things that two consenting adults can do together that are simply wrong and that a civilized society has every right to condemn.

 

[MaggieD]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Really? Two adults who are "brother and sister" having consensual sex and even a pregnancy is cool with you huh?

No, I'd have a problem with that. But that's not the issue.

Not sure my brother would agree if I was boffing his daughter...

Oh, I'll bet he wouldn't!!!!!!

See, it's cases like this that make me think that the whole "consenting adults" argument is misguided. There are plenty of things that two consenting adults can do together that are simply wrong and that a civilized society has every right to condemn.

I can't think of anything we'd condemn if it weren't sex being condemned. And don't say rob a bank, because robbing a bank, in and of itself, is against the law no matter who does it. Other examples?

 

[spud_meister]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

From what I've read in other sources, he was banging his daughter, so that's kinda wrong.

 

[MaggieD]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

From what I've read in other sources, he was banging his daughter, so that's kinda wrong.

I have different thoughts if it's his daughter. I would hope they would do a thorough investigation to make sure that his abuse didn't start long before she was 18 years old. Personally? I doubt that she was 18 when they started this inappropriate behavior. Whole different issue, IMO.

 

[Gardener]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

I think most cultures would consider that wrong, actually...

Marriage between family members are quite common in many Muslim countries. In Saudi Arabia, over a quarter of marriages are between first cousins.

 

[The Mark]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

Marriage between family members are quite common in many Muslim countries. In Saudi Arabia, over a quarter of marriages are between first cousins.

They don't have the attached moral stigma that we Americans do.

It's FAR less likely to occur here in the USA.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

I can't think of anything we'd condemn if it weren't sex being condemned.

So? Most of the immoral things that people do to one another involve sex.

 

[MaggieD]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

So? Most of the immoral things that people do to one another involve sex.

Not even close, Viktyr.

 

[Gardener]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

They don't have the attached moral stigma that we Americans do.

It's FAR less likely to occur here in the USA.

It has more to do with controlling women and establishing patriarchal clans than anything else. .

 

[The Mark]

Re: Columbia professor is charged with incest, accused of bedding young relative for

It has more to do with controlling women and establishing patriarchal clans than anything else. .

How do you figure that? I don't see the connection...