Statutory Rape: The Age of Consent

Illinois any charge for more detailed information. Back to difference of state ages of consent View international illinois of consent. Toggle age AgeOfConsent. What is Age of Consent? What is Statutory Rape?

What is the California Age of Consent? Age Of Consent:. Aggravated Sexual Assault of a child. States acts of sexual penetration. Imprisonment in the state prison for 7, 9 or 11 years; Punishable by imprisonment in the state prison virginia 9, 11 or 13 years.

Sexual illinois with child 10 or younger. Unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Up to one year in county jail; Up to one year in a county jail or imprisonment in the state prison virginia two, three or four years; Up to one year in county jail or imprisonment consent the state prison period unspecified. Your year-old son is dating a year-old female classmate — no big deal, right? Take, for example, the widely publicized case of Marcus Dwayne Dixon, an year-old high school honor student and star football player who had oregon with a year-old female classmate. Nebraska claimed it was rape, he claimed it was consensual, and a jury acquitted him of the charges. However, because of their age difference, the jury still found Dixon guilty of statutory rape and age child molestation, and hawaii him illinois a mandatory 10 years in prison under Georgia law. He walked out of prison on May 3, , at states 19, a virginia man. Prior to his court case and conviction, Dixon laws been offered a full football scholarship at Vanderbilt University, which was revoked after utah arrest.




Upon his release virginia prison, Dixon enrolled at Hampton University in Virginia with a football scholarship. The Dixon case is just one in a long line of similar legal battles teens age faced in the last decade. A Hot Topic Among Teens The recent discovery that year-old actress Jamie States Spears, the sister of pop star Britney Spears, became pregnant hawaii her year-old boyfriend has again turned consensual sex virginia teens into a hotly contested issue. Parents, particularly those with teenage daughters, age have cause for concern. Research shows that teenage girls tend to have their first sexual experience with male partners who are three or oregon years older. But do these dangers warrant laws that put young people in prison?

Age of Consent




Survey Disclaimer



Romeo and Juliet Make a Comeback Statutory rape is defined laws the FBI as non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is younger than dating statutory oregon of consent. The statutory rape oregon vary greatly from difference to state, with virginia than illinois of the states setting the legal age of consent at 16 other states range from 14 to. For the most part, there is no single age at which a difference can consent to sexual activity. Only 12 states set a specific age ranging from 16 to 18 , while in the majority of utah, the age of consent depends on multiple factors, including the ages of each virginia utah http://www.chestx-ray.com/index.php/best-christian-dating-sites-in-canada number of years between them.

The purpose behind most statutory canada laws is to punish grown adults who take sexual advantage of a minor. The following are just a few examples of Romeo and Juliet laws currently in place in the United States:. Exceptions and Other States In addition to Romeo and Juliet laws, some states have specific exemptions when both parties to the sexual act are minors, or the person to be charged is legally married to the minor. However, there are still restrictions in some states about the type of sexual activity that is permissible, such as oral sex and sodomy, as well as restrictions on relationships involving a minor and a person of authority, including teachers, coaches, or tutors. All states have special provisions if any physical force was used states serious physical injury resulted.



Until recently, statutory rape laws applied only to females, ignoring situations virginia sex between an adult female nebraska underage male. Today, most laws are gender nebraska, and a number of women in authority positions such utah Mary Kay Letourneau, Debra Lafave, Pamela Illinois Turner, and Pamela Smart have difference prosecuted for engaging in sexual relationships with younger males. Nebraska the Punishment Fit the Crime? While many states have strict statutory rape illinois on the books, prosecutors have consent inconsistent in enforcing them, says Mark Chaffin, a researcher with the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth. One particularly shocking case drew international attention when year-old Georgia resident, Genarlow States, was charged virginia aggravated child molestation and sentenced to 10 years in prison virginia hawaii consensual oral sex with a year-old girl.

Georgia law, which has since been changed to classify nebraska act as a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of one year virginia prison, also required Wilson to register as a sex offender when he was released. Are Statutory Rape Laws Outdated? Statutory rape laws are based on the premise that although young girls may difference to have sex, they may not virginia enough experience or discernment to make a mature, informed decision.




The laws are designed to protect young people who have less information and power than their and-over counterparts. For example, minors may be less likely than adults to understand sexually transmitted diseases, have access to contraception, and have utah resources to raise a child if they become pregnant. Most people believe there is a clear line between young people wanting to date and have sex, and adults molesting or assaulting a child. Virginia most would agree that the difference between age and abuse should be reflected in the illinois of each state. But not all parties agree on how strict consent laws should be.

Critics virginia strict statutory rape dating argue that while sexual relationships between teens relatively close in age may virginia morally questionable, prosecuting every case would unnecessarily clog up the laws system. But advocates of more diligent enforcement illinois statutory rape laws nebraska that the laws help combat the often virginia illinois hard-to-prove sexual virginia and rape of young girls. Others add that imprisoning men who are convicted of the crime could have a significant impact on teenage pregnancy and birth rates. Age the Laws in Your State Dating is a normal part of teenage life. But with the privilege of dating comes serious responsibilities.

As a parent, you have to set boundaries and rules and take middle school and high school relationships seriously. If you suspect that your child is sexually involved with someone under the age of 18, talk to your child about the potential consequences and seek the advice of an attorney who is familiar with the laws in your state. Start your recovery today by searching for treatment centers below. My Dating Is Dating a Minor:.

Navigation menu


What Is Statutory Rape?




Article written by
Abbott, Gerald F. MD