sagatory rape

i am looking up a topic for a school research paper. i am to find what the legalities are for the ages being considered sagatroy rape. is it illegal if the two people involved are over four years apart or seperated by one parti being under the age of 18?

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

Okay, you need to get the terminology right first.

Statutory rape.

Here is some information from the freeadvice.com homepage. But you should also check out "statutory rape" under each state by going to the link below or to call a law school for each state if you can't find the state code for a particular state. Perhaps even an internet search may help you.

WHAT IS "STATUTORY RAPE"?
It is any carnal knowledge of a female under the age of consent, whether or not the female was a willing participant. The age of consent varies from state to state, but is generally from 16 - 18 years of age. Again, some states may include in their definition carnal knowledge of a male under the age of consent in that state.

IF I THOUGHT THE FEMALE WAS OVER 18, AM I STILL LIABLE?
In most cases, yes, you would still be held liable.

Sure you still are liable if she is a lying two bit tramp who belongs on the Rikki Lake show.

But with 16 year old tramps seducing older men, It would be the right thing to do is to trash the tramp, and to demand equal rights for men.

No Man should be charged with this is the tramp is soo bad she belongs in Jail! And LIES about her age.

If you are 18 and you KNOW she is 16 well youre dead.

Most states have a tiered age of consent. For example:
Sex with any peson under 12 is a crime.
Sex with a person 12-14 is a crime unless the other participant is within 2 years of the victim's age.
Sex with a person 14-16 is a crime unless the other participant is within 4 years of the victim's age.
Any person over 16 can consent to have sex.
Some states allow the affirmative defense (which means the defendant has the burden of proving) that the defendant thought the victim was over 16, & that is was reasonable for the defendant to think this. Some states only allow this defense if the victim is at least 14 in actuality, regardless of how old the defendant though s/he was. Most states don't allow this defense at all.
"Sex" means any vaginal, oral, or anal penetration, no matter how slight, or any oral sex.

If you want to look up the laws in every state, go here: www.findlaw.com/11stategov/index.html & check out the 'primary materials' & state codes/statutes for each state.

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This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws.