On Wednesday, Deadspin reported that former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader Molly Shattuck had been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a minor, a 15-year-old boy she met on Instagram.
According to court documents, the 47-year-old Shattuck, who was previously known as the oldest cheerleader in the NFL for making the Ravens squad at 38, started commenting on the teenager’s photos back in May, eventually meeting up to have oral sex over Labor Day weekend. The boy reported their relationship to police in September.
Shattuck is being charged with four counts of unlawful sexual contact, two counts of third-degree rape, and three counts of distributing alcohol to a minor. It’s all pretty serious stuff. But because Shattuck is a former NFL cheerleader, and because the minor in question was a 15-year-old male, people on the Internet seem outraged for, well, let’s just say the wrong reasons.
Say it with me now: Sexual assault is sexual assault, regardless of whether the victim is male or female, or if the aggressor is tall, thin, and blonde. A sexual predator is a sexual predator. So cool it with the “15-year-old-getting-head-from-a-cheerleader” jokes, Twitter. Because if it were your child in this situation, you probably wouldn’t be laughing.
A 15 year old kid was having sex with a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader and fucking told on her…. What in the actual fuck
— Captain Kenway (@ROLLin_94) November 5, 2014
@KTLA that’s such bullshit no 15 year old boy gets raped by a cheer leader. He’s one lucky bastard.
— Chris Swan (@cswanrun68) November 5, 2014
An nfl cheerleader sucked his dick at 15 and he went and cried.
— D’Angelo Barksdale (@BronxBomber45) November 5, 2014
It’s like a golden age for teenage boys apparently. jeesh. https://t.co/VvaAEyv1JU
— Dave Pederson (@David_Pederson) November 5, 2014
It’s not funny but I’m dying. He must’ve been gay. U got head from an ex NFL cheerleader & filed rape 😭
— ♛ℳeldris Elba (@OGMelo_) November 5, 2014
Is it completely wrong tht i cant see a 15 year old boy saying he was raped by an nfl cheerleader…like huh? Are u sure?
— SunKissed (@PeaceNessaa) November 5, 2014
“Ex-NFL Cheerleader — INDICTED FOR RAPING 15-YEAR-OLD BOY” –Um, I think I speak for ALL 15yr old boys when I say “rape” is the wrong word.
— Michael Malone (@MaloneComedy) November 5, 2014
H/T Deadspin | Screengrab via Profiles Featuring Mickey Burns//YouTube