Women Who Had Teen “Relationships” With Older Men The Realize Were Predators Share How It Happened

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“15 years ago, I was legally an adult but still a teen. I dated my recently divorced boss, who was 24 years older than me. I was looking for a casual good time, and we both like to travel, so it was fun. It went over my head that he was too old for me because, in most ways, he was closer to my maturity level than others his age. After a couple of months, I realized he had a pretty significant drinking problem and tried to get out, but, shocker, my job became threatened. He became extremely emotionally and psychologically abusive, then sexually abusive. I ended up seeing a psychiatrist and dropping out of school because of my mental state. To get away from him, I took an international internship, which my work approved. However, he disclosed our relationship out of spite, and I was fired. He received no consequences and dated another employee who was younger than me.”

“There were no policies around dating at my work. Ultimately, I ended up staying overseas for nearly a decade. He still drunk-dials me once a year and leaves a voicemail about how delightful he found the times he sexually assaulted me (he’s blocked, and, yes, I’ve changed numbers, but that piece of s#$% is crafty).

At the time, the age difference didn’t seem like a big deal. But now that I’m older, I look back and think, ‘What kind of degenerate, emotionally stunted creep…?!’ Even if it’s legal, it is NOT OK!” 

—Anonymous, California