Is it legal for a 21 year old to date a 16 year old if there is no sexual contact?

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Is it legal for a 21 year old to date a 16 year old if there is no sexual contact?

Asked on November 1, 2015 under Criminal Law, Florida

Answers:

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 8 years ago | Contributor

It's perfectly legal to just date someone, pretty much no matter what the age. However, dating can and typically does lead to more, especially with people in the 16-21 age range. That having been said, while the "age of consent" in FL is technically 18, there is a close in age exemption which provides that a person younger than 24 years old may have sexual contact with a person who is at least 16 years old.


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