In the middle of a week dominated by politics an unusual story hit the news and almost slipped through the radar. It concerned a Frenchman who posted an advertvisement on a dating website inviting women to contact him for sex. To make his invitation more appealing he backed it up with a photograph of a 37 year old rugged-looking male model.

Evidently the ruse worked since two of his correspondents, on separate occasions, willingly allowed themselves to be blindfolded, a la Fifty Shades of Grey, in a dark room in his French Riviera apartment and then had sex with him. They were evidently horrified when the blindfold was removed to reveal not the 37 year old hunk that each had expected but a 68 year old bald overweight pensioner with wrinkly skin and a big nose.

Anyway, the aged Lothario has now been charged with “rape by surprise” even though he says the women gave their full consent and were perfectly willing at all times to engage in sexual activity; a fact they are not seeking to deny. The court will presumably have to answer the question as to whom the women thought they were giving that consent and then pass judgment accordingly.

Whether the old guy is regarded as a sexual predator or just a dirty old man who got lucky, the women involved can hardly expect universal sympathy. Willingly allowing themselves to be blindfolded by and then having sex with a man they had never even bothered to look at is hardly sensible behaviour. Clearly, when lust comes knocking at the door common sense jumps out the window. It should be an interesting court case.