I came across this today, and I thought it was something worth dicussing. I encourage you to read this throughly.  

Man Pleads Guilty to Coercing Girl He Meet at Anime Con

I read that a few days ago :/ I'm very careful at conventions. Unless my friends are with me I'd never go to someone else's hotel room or off to a remot location.

I always hear stories about things that have apparently happened at cons. I never attend cons by myself anyway and I always stay in public places. Going to somebody's hotel room is a really bad idea.

In situations like this one, I find that it’s hard not to put the victim at fault. Please do not take what I say as, she deserves it or objective or even rude and disrespectful.

I’ve been going to conventions since I was 15. I have never ever gone with my parents, I’ve only ever went with my friends and older sister (by 1 year) and younger brother. I understand I was a little older, but I knew that if I were by myself, I needed to by myself in a well-populated area. It is WRONG to have sexual relations with a minor. However, both the man and the 13 yr old knew what they were doing. I’m not clear on whether she has been in contact (physical) with him twice, and it does say that he was coercing and “enticing” her. She is a victim, but the media and parents try to let kids know not to communicate with strangers online. He knew what he was doing and should be punished. 14 yrs is good enough for me, especially since this was his second offense. Nasty. I don’t know. But It says that she later discovered his true identity, which I take to mean that she and her friend new his face. He doesn’t look younger than 20. I just hope that things like this don’t happen as often, but who am I kidding. I know what goes on at conventions, and age tends to not be much of a barrier.

I feel as though, somehow there is going to be some media blast on this which in turn will make anime conventions look terrible. A lot of society already believes the people who attend these things to be creepers and pedophiles. All it takes is one person to ruin something for all.

The weird thing was I was there that weekend. I’ve been going to Katsucon since 2008, and for some reason something is always ruining the image. They moved hotels twice in the last 3 years. One was, because people were too destructive to the hotel, another was it was too small, and now this. The Gaylord is HUGE. It’s completely easy to find a secluded spot. In all honesty, the only thing anime conventions can really do is provide security and have those offenders registered in their books, because a person can be a sex offender for something as simple as indecent exposure. Everyone doesn’t need to know, but a notice that there are instances that occur. Screening everyone that pays to be at a convention that’s for fun? People have to realize that these are regular people who run these things. Minors under 13 have to have a signed parents’ consent to go, and at some places the parents have to be there also. In all honesty I don’t know what else can be done. I’m not saying it’s hopeless. What do you guys think can be done?

It doesn't really concern me. Yeah, he is awful but you can meet a creep anywhere, conventions are no more dangerous than anywhere else. I usually go to cons alone, in fact I've only been to one con with friends and we separated quite a bit.

I do practice some common sense like I never go into someone else's hotel room. I do make exceptions for rooms parties and they're usually restricted for those 21+. Whenever I drink I never have more than 2, most of the time I stop at one. I also know if I feel uneasy about someone that I need to contact con staff/security.

Although to date the worst I got was some jerk giving me some crap for cosplaying Hetalia, while also admitting the costume was well made. It was weird.

my friend got followed around at an anime convention once...and I took a picture witha  guy who was cosplaying a character I liked...he was a total basement dweller, and I think he just wanted to prove that he was getting hugged by girls, but I was with my friends, so it was okay.

With the whole hentai and fetish scene of anime, you're definitely going to attract some creeps. But just be careful. Don't go alone, don't go to somebody's hotel room unless you know them, or are with someone. And for god's sake, don't drink or do drugs at these things.

I feel sorry for the girl but honestly, that girl is old enough to know that going to a random guy's hotel room is a bad idea. She is 13, she's not a child so she should know. It's common sense.

I'm 15 and I'm around the same age range as her and I know that a lot of teenagers around my age would think, oh sure, it's ok to go to some lad's hotel room, what can he do to me? if he tries to rape me, I'll beat the sh*t out of him. I am actually ashamed that teens these days are so naive and a lot think they're invincible. They lose their common sense!! << I know that's coming from a teenager (me xD) but I know a lot that think like that and very few that would think like me.... :/

I don't think katsucon can do anything else. They've done all they could, it's all up to the attendes' common sense now. I guess the only thing katsucon can do now is to promote how to be safe at a con. Tell people what they should avoid etc.

i would kick them in the nuts if they did any thing to me but then again cosplay is not my cup of tea.
But they all should be locked up and pay the teenage girls should really be careful about these things.

I used to work at a convention and frankly, those places are overrun with creepers and pedophiles. No joke. You have no idea how many incidents we had with creepy dudes trying to come onto girls in cosplay or touching them inappropriately. We even had a "Free Hugs" zone and a Yaoi/Yuri area for people who wanted to be ....perverted and stuff. Didn't matter, you still get a whole slew of nasty people at conventions who have no common sense, no manners, and no sense of personal boundaries.

I will seriously never attend a convention again.  

Because of my Lolita attire and sweet disposition, I get creeped on a lot. One guy even went up to me, askign if I would take a survey. I said "Sure!" and he told me we would have to go in another room and it would take about 15 minutes. I was like "I'm pretty sure I can take a survey right here." and then he left. There was another man asking me if I liked tea parties, of course I said yes and he was insisting there was a tea party going on just a few blocks from there and offered to take me. Obviously I declined the offer.

Girls need to have a bit more common sense about things. From practically day one my parents drilled into my head: "Don't talk to strangers" "Don't go places with strangers." "Don't accept food from strangers" and so on. I feel like we don't talk to our kids enough about this. It SHOULD be obvious, but if we're not explaining them the dangers, then of course it's not obvious to them, and they will follow men to hotel rooms.

RozeMaiden wrote: I used to work at a convention and frankly, those places are overrun with creepers and pedophiles. No joke. You have no idea how many incidents we had with creepy dudes trying to come onto girls in cosplay or touching them inappropriately. We even had a "Free Hugs" zone and a Yaoi/Yuri area for people who wanted to be ....perverted and stuff. Didn't matter, you still get a whole slew of nasty people at conventions who have no common sense, no manners, and no sense of personal boundaries. I will seriously never attend a convention again.

Whoa, that's scary. What all happened there?