In the years following the 2013 debut of Adult Swim’s cartoon phenomenon “Rick and Morty,” its star and co-creator Justin Roiland became a titan of the animation and video game industry and a rock star of youth counterculture. His artistic style and caricatures became ubiquitous in cannabis culture, and his career expanded into producing other animated series, creating NFTs and leading a virtual reality gaming studio. In 2017, a “Rick and Morty” collaboration with McDonald’s led to such a viral frenzy that police had to be called to at least two locations.

But as he partied with Los Angeles’ superstars and traveled the country for conventions, he also found he could use his fame to strike up conversations and develop relationships with young fans, including some who were underage. This is according to interviews with 11 women and nonbinary people who shared thousands of messages with Roiland from 2013 to 2022 — with nine of the people saying he turned the exchanges sexual. Of those nine people, three said they were 16 when they started talking to Roiland. To corroborate their stories, the 11 women and nonbinary people also shared pictures, videos, social media posts, emails, and plane ticket and Uber receipts with NBC News.

Warning: Lengthy and graphic details

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The term is “ephebophilia”

      Now you’ve read my comment

      Now you know what that term is

      Now you’re a pedophile

      It’s that easy! See you in Thailand!

    • SwingingKoala@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      No, by grouping children in with postpubertal humans who engage in age appropriate sexual acts you downplay pedophilia. You’re an idiot and you insist on being one.

      • sweeny@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Lmao a 16 year old being hit on by a 30 year old is not age appropriate sexual acts, it’s about mental maturity

        • SwingingKoala@discuss.tchncs.de
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          1 year ago

          You’re saying fucking a two year old is the same as fucking a 16 year old you sicko. I never mentioned 30 years anyway, you’re also putting words into my mouth.

          • sweeny@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Nah, I’m just saying I don’t feel uncomfortable calling someone who preys on children a pedophile, cause they’re gross either way

              • sweeny@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                Allow me to recite the third sentence of that Wikipedia article you linked since reading comprehension doesn’t seem to be your strong suit:

                “The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority.[1] Children generally have fewer rights and responsibilities than adults. They are classed as unable to make serious decisions.” such as sex with a grown man

                • SwingingKoala@discuss.tchncs.de
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                  1 year ago

                  Yes, and let me cite the first sentence: “A child (PL: children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty,[1][2] or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty.”

                  Let me also cite “Pedophilia (alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia. By using the non-standard legal definition of “child” you weaken the meaning of pedophilia and normalize it, and you perform mental gymnastics to justify normalizing pedophilia.

                  The fact that you think that young women of 16 years don’t have the mental capability to make decisions is very revealing, and contradicts the law in many places in the US and the west in general.

                  • sweeny@sh.itjust.works
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                    1 year ago

                    I was using the legal (and very commonly used, btw) definition of child, since *acting on pedophilia is illegal. I’m not normalizing anything by comparing them to pedophiles, youre the one trying to normalize sexual relations with people under 18