I think treating people for what they intended and actually tried to do to do (cheat on their partner), even if they didn't manage to carry out their intent because of external circumstances is fair. I think that's a common opinion? Although I might be wrong.

Many countries punish "attempted murder" (trying to carry out the act but failing, the same way people caught in this scandal attempted but failed at adultery) so it makes sense to me to not strongly distinguish between "tried cheating on their partner but failed" and "tried cheating on their partner and succeeded".

How would you think the conversation about AM would/should be modified, in light of the fact that people were (unknowingly) talking to chatbots instead of real partners? I think I already made my views clear, but I would actually like to hear other opinions since I don't think I understand any view but my own on this. Maybe other people would prefer the conversation is about spambots on social media websites instead of what the people on those sites tried to do?

Edit: nvm. I saw (after I was already done typing) the sibling comments to my current one, and that makes more sense.