16 and pregnant

[concerned718]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

Ok my 16 year old sister is pregnant by a 30 year old man. I have read and re-read the law concerning rape and it seems that since she is now 16 its consentual but from what I understand they have been having sex since she was 15. She is 17 weeks pregnant. The first day of her last period (or so she says) was the day after her 16th birthday.
1.What can my mother do?
2.Is it rape since she was 15 when they started seeing each other?
3.Does it even matter now that she’s 16?
4.Do the laws change should you become pregnant?
5.What happens after the baby is born?
6.Can she be emancipated because she now has a child to take care of?
7.Is she automatically emancipated when the baby is born?
8.Could she leave our mothers home, take the baby and live with this man!?!?!

Please help!

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

Ok my 16 year old sister is pregnant by a 30 year old man. I have read and re-read the law concerning rape and it seems that since she is now 16 its consentual but from what I understand they have been having sex since she was 15. She is 17 weeks pregnant. The first day of her last period (or so she says) was the day after her 16th birthday.
1.What can my mother do?
2.Is it rape since she was 15 when they started seeing each other?
3.Does it even matter now that she’s 16?
4.Do the laws change should you become pregnant?
5.What happens after the baby is born?
6.Can she be emancipated because she now has a child to take care of?
7.Is she automatically emancipated when the baby is born?
8.Could she leave our mothers home, take the baby and live with this man!?!?!

Please help!

1. Make a police report. Now.

2. Sexual assault: "Sexual assault is sexual penetration with a victim between age 13 and 16 when the actor is at least four years older." Per New Jersey § 2C: 14-2.

3. Yes, it matters.

4. Nope. Except pregnancy and resulting birth tends to make it easier for the State to prove their case (that a crime has been committed).

5. She becomes a Mommy. She can file to establish paternity, custody, child support etc.

6. She will be considered medically emancipated. But not LEGALLY emancipated.

7. Nope. Not a chance.

8. Not without Mom's permission. But Dad might have bigger problems anyway - he might be in jail for quite awhile.

 

[Isis1]

Calm down. Breathe. First thing mom needs to do is file a police report. Than take her daughter to a baby well care visit. Make sure the doctor is informed of the potential father's age. Encourage the doctor to report it to social services. Mom also needs to file a restraining order on this man.

 

[cbg]

7. Far from being automatically emancipated, with the exception of making her own (and the baby's) medical decisions she just kissed any possible chance of legal emancipation goodbye.

 

[Proserpina]

OT: Dang, ladies - we're hot this evening LOL

 

[Isis1]

OT: Dang, ladies - we're hot this evening LOL

This calls for a cool beer!!

 

[concerned718]

Thank you for this very helpful information. My mother is going to contact child services and the police first thing in the morning.

 

[Proserpina]

Thank you for this very helpful information. My mother is going to contact child services and the police first thing in the morning.

She can actually do it right now.

And she should.

 

[concerned718]

I will let her know that she can contact the police and child services now instead of waiting. Thank you all.

 

[Proserpina]

I will let her know that she can contact the police and child services now instead of waiting. Thank you all.

You're welcome. Good for you being a sibling who is looking out for their family.