Dear US folksies

[innocent_lex]

I'm watching Everwood and am somewhere in S2. Ephram (16) has started dating his sister's babysitter (20). which seems to involve kissing and no sex. Andy (dad) has gone absolutely ballistic about the whole thing, claiming it's a felony. I understand that a felony is breaking a law (a big law?). What I don't understand is what law could possibly be broken here. Can some awfully lovely USA person please explain?

Thanks muchly.

Comments

[brihana25.livejournal.com]

Statutory rape, because the boy isn't 18 (or 17, depending on which state he's in) and because there's more than 2 years' age difference between them.

[readerjane]

What Brihana said, except I thought the statutory rape law only applied if actual intercourse took place. I could be wrong.

But the idea is, a minor is legally incapable of giving consent. So even if they were a willing participant, it's still a crime. Rarely prosecuted.

In some states, the law gives an exception if the participant who is an adult is within a certain age range of the minor. For instance, boyfriend just turned 18 and girlfriend still 17. I believe the range differs from state-to-state as well.