To be fair to you, I'll answer them myself also.

Do you believe the relationship was consensual or non-consensual?

I believe it was consensual at the time it happened, but the woman later came to believe she had been coerced or manipulated into doing something which she believed (as an adult, not at the time) was unwanted or immoral.

Can you elaborate more on what about the story led you to believe that?

According to the article, he contacted her through Facebook, not the other way around. Had he raped her, I doubt he would have initiated contact all these years later. In my opinion, the fact that he initiated FaceBook contact all these years later indicates that (at least in his mind) the relationship and sexual activities were consensual.

The fact that he traveled repeatedly from New York to Southern California and took her to hotels multiple times also leads me to believe that it was a consensual arrangement at the time. I think we all know that if you ask a minor "do you want to go to the dentist" or "do you want to get some shots" or "do you want a sardine sandwich" they'll immediatly say no and resist. If the girl didn't want to go to the hotels at the time, she would have let that be known to her parents.

To play devil's advocate, can you imagine a situation using the same facts of this story that would indicate the opposite?

It is possible that he threatened her in order to get her to cooperate. Or he may have bribed her with rewards (gifts? trips?) in return for sexual activities and her silence.

What about your own experiences make you view this relationship as consensual or non-consensual?

I spent a LOT of time around children before my arrest and prosecution for possession of child pornography*. It is pretty clear to a Child Lover what makes a child happy and what doesn't. The fact that the man contacted the woman on Facebook leads me to believe he felt that they were on friendly terms, which he wouldn't likely believe if he had raped and threatened her.

Also, in 99% of the child pornography I saw before my arrest, the children appeared to be enjoying and actively participating in the activity (the vast majority) or just bored (a small minority). While I understand that they may have just been told to "smile for the camera" and act, my personal opinion was that the expressions of pleasure looked natural, not forced. From these old memories I have taken the opinion that children can indeed have pleasurable, consensual sexual experiences with adults.

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Paedstrian

* I was arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and punished for viewing and trading child pornography on the internet. I never created it myself, nor did I ever engage in sexual activities with a minor.