Full question:
I'm a 17yr old senior in high school about to turn 18, my boyfriend is a senior too but he's 16. His parents have no problem with the relationship but my dad is a little worried because he feels I can get in trouble with the law dating him. Is it illegal for us to date? No sexual activities or anything intimate, just going out to eat and having fun.
- Category: Criminal
- Subcategory: Statutory Rape
- Date:
- State: Florida
Answer:
Your Dad is concerned because of the statutory rape laws in Florida because they are confusing and penalties are harsh. If you are 18 and he is 16 you could commit a crime if there is sexual intercourse or other prohibited sexual acts. The specify circumstances which would make this result in a crime are laid out in Florida Statutes. Regardless of those circumstances, many of the things like consent and state of the minor when sex occurs are factual and therefore even if you thought you were within the law to have sex the other party could lie about consent, etc. or be forced to do so by others.Of course, if there is no sexual activity you are not committing any crime. But again a person could lie.
You can view more details looking at the answer below and reading the statute. However, again this is confusing law and you need a local lawyers analysis to truly understand.
References:
https://answers.uslegal.com/criminal/statutory-rape/26956/
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
