such bad parents...

Actually, I'm sure 12yr olds now know alot more about sex than 100yrs ago. Actually, some probably know more about sex than most adults 100yrs ago. Now that we all can view pics and vids of every variety of sexual perversion at the click of a mouse button. I remember in the early 90s when the whole issue exploded and caused a massive conservative upswing with anything to do with kids and sex. Mostly caused by avg joe finding out about kiddie porn because of the internet, which was used from it's earliest public inception to distribute CP, bestiality and everything else illegal, becoming commonly used by the public. There was a big Time article about it with a cover illustration of a kid gaping open mouthed at a computer screen (presumably at CP). After that everything started to change. States raised the age of consent to 16 or 18 depending on the state. (Before that 14 was not uncommon and New Mexico was 13 and Delaware was 12) Articles and movies about adolescent promiscuity started popping up. The rumor about kids as young as elementary age using jelly bracelets to snap off for sex games appeared and all sorts of crazy stuff. People being arrested left and right. A 16yr old girl in Pennsylvania was arrested and charged for sexual battery on herself for showing her tits on cam. A couple of teens in Florida charged with CP distribution for videotaping themselves having sex. (Essentially this was all so new prosecutors had no idea what to do.) Now it's so common for teens to send naked pics to each other, some states are trying decriminalize it (unless said pic is distributed to others). Nowadays teens know more about sex than ever before but are allowed to less (legally) than ever before, computed with girls developing faster than ever but still being legally treated like a kid for 5+ years after they are capable of giving birth. You going to have problems...

I understand all that, but it doesnt answer the question I presented. Why does a tween have any sort of interest in an adult 10+ years older than them?

It makes them feel special or more mature, often they are neglected or abused and look for love in the wrong place. Many girls I knew were into partying and was convenient to have a boyfriend old enough to buy booze and such. Like the next door 13yr old with the live in 21yr old boyfriend. She was always drunk or stoned and even got into coke (along with her mom) for a bit.

I can see the neglect and abused, as I somewhat touched on when talking to oreo about the "rape victim with daddy issues." Scenario But can all these children really be that bad off? Id have to assume there are other, less extreme reasonings.

It depends on the girl and the situation. Some are abused and some aren't. I only knew a few parents or parental situations. I didn't exactly conduct detailed interviews. I know that out of 14 girls I've dated (that I can recall at the moment), at least 7 were abused or raped before they turned 18. And out of the girls I've been friends with, closer to 80% have been abused or raped. Usually by family members or close friends of the family.

I once dated this 18yr old stoner Goth chick who admitted part way into our relationship (which only lasted 2 weeks) that she was into kiddie porn and was talking to this older guy who had just gotten out of jail for the same issue that she had been in a relationship with when she was much younger. And even wanted to suck my dick on can with this dude watching. She had too many issues for me and I broke it off soon after.

See I miss all the thing vampire_neko posted that are true which people don't bring to the outside world, yet everyone is gossiping about the celebs. Big fkn deal. There are others out there in crisis.