WYANDOTTE, MI – Commenting on the sensational story of the Texas
 middle school teacher accused of a months-long sexual relationship with
 her minor student — reportedly with his family’s blessing — a
Libertarian congressional candidate from Wyandotte said on Facebook
 the other day that “some teenagers are able to handle these 
relationships” with adults and age-of-consent laws ought to reflect
 that.
Tom Bagwell posted the comments on a Houston TV station’s
 Facebook page in response to a story about the arrest of Alexandria
 M. Vera, 24, who is accused of having an ongoing sexual relationship 
with her student, who authorities say is under the age of 14.
According to police records cited by The Washington Post, Vera told 
police that she and the student “had sex on almost a daily basis at her
 home and that they love each other.” Police also said Vera claimed the 
boy’s parents were supportive of the relationship and ecstatic when they 
learned of her pregnancy, which she aborted when Child Protective 
Services began investigating her in February.

Bagwell, who posted under his “Tom Bagwell for Congress 2016”
 account, suggested that since the boy's family was apparently happy 
about the relationship, it's none of the government's business.
Bagwell would like to see age-of-consent laws charged to require 
prosecutors to consider charges on a case-by-case basis, rather 
than arbitrarily. "Hard age of consent laws don’t take into account 
the actual maturity of the child," he said.
In the case of the Texas middle school English teacher, “If there is
 consent, there is no rape,” Bagwell posted.
“The boy was consenting. The parents supported it. The age of the
 participants doesn’t matter. Personal relationships are not the
 business of the state.”
More from Across Patch
The comments were part of an
 exchange posted in a screengrab on theKPRC2/Click2Houston website.
The Libertarian candidate for the 12th
 congressional district seat currently
 held by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell,
 D-Dearborn, Bagwell told the 
Detroit Free Press he doesn’t advocate 
 is involved in such relationships most of the time, but he stands by his
 comments.
“I gave an opinion based on me having some deeply rooted libertarian 
views,” he told the Free Press. “I have some views that I know the 
general public might say, ‘Eh, I don’t like that.’ ”
He said “children should be protected as best we can,” but said that
 “unfortunately, the unintended consequences of government action
 can do more harm than good.”
“If there is actual abuse by all means charge with a crime,” he wrote.
 “but it should not be a snap judgment.”
Other Facebook users called Bagwell out.
“Exactly what mitigating circumstances would make it OK for a 24 
year old woman to have sex with her 13 year old student?” user 
James Leitch asked Bagwell.
“RAPE,” Alyse Campbell posted, turning on her cap lock for 
emphasis. “This is rape. Not a ‘sexual relationship.’ ”
More testy exchanges followed in continuing coverage of the 
dustup.