A 43 year old Montreal raver says he only dates teenage girls because women his own age are too demanding and unwilling to tolerate his lifestyle. "Older women expect you to have a job, furniture and a bedroom that doesn't smell like bong water," says Martin Beaulieu. "Young girls are more open minded. They care about music, having fun and whether I can convince a promoter to let them into a rave."

Martin prefers girls as close as possible to Canada's age of consent, which he repeatedly cites as proof that his relationships are completely normal. "The government picked 16 for a reason," says Martin. "Some of my friends think I should date women in their twenties, but that's disgusting. A 25 year old woman is practically middle aged. She probably has a credit card and strong opinions about men who sleep until four in the afternoon."

Friends say Martin usually dumps his girlfriends once they become old enough to realize that dating him was a terrible mistake. "The trouble starts around 19," says longtime friend Simon Leduc. "They start going to university, meeting normal men and asking Martin why he owns three turntables but no bed frame. That's when he accuses them of changing and starts looking for someone younger."

When Martin becomes bored with his current girlfriend, he spends afternoons hanging around Villa-Maria and trying to meet teenage girls. He insists that standing near a school in a faded rave hoodie and asking young women whether they like happy hardcore is not suspicious. "I'm just meeting people who share my interests," says Martin. "Some men go to bars. I go where the women I'm interested in spend their lunch breaks."

Martin prefers raves to nightclubs because clubs usually require guests to be at least 18 years old. "Clubs are full of old women," he says. "At a rave, nobody cares about age. Promoters just want your money, security can't read most of the IDs and half the people inside look like they escaped from a daycare. It's a much more accepting environment for a mature man with extremely specific romantic preferences."

Martin's current girlfriend will turn 18 next month, forcing him to make a difficult decision about their future. "She's already talking about getting a summer job and applying to university," says Martin. "I can feel her slipping away." Friends believe the relationship might survive another year, but Martin is not optimistic. "I'll always care about her," he says. "I just don't know if I can watch someone I love become elderly."