Statutory Rape


Definition of Statutory Rape

Statutory rape is when an adult has sex that includes penetration with a person who is below the legal age of consent or who is otherwise deemed incapable of consenting to sex, such as a mentally disabled person. Statutory rape is a crime and can carry lengthy jail sentences if a person is convicted of it.



Statutory Rape Explained

The age of legal consent for sex varies by state. Children and minors are typically viewed as not being mature or intellectually developed enough to make choices about sex themselves. In other words, they are viewed as being vulnerable to being pressured or manipulated into sexual situations that they don't fully understand. That is why statutory rape is a crime, and that is why there is a legal age of consent. Statutory rape is one among a number of different types of rape.





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