What is the legal age of sexual consent?
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What is the legal age of sexual consent?
I met a young “woman” in a club a few weeks ago. At the end of the night we had sex. We also had sexual relations a few more times after that night. She told me a couple days ago that she is not 21, but actually she just turned 17, 4 months ago. I am 35 years old and am now very nervous. Am I in trouble legally speaking? I have done some research on age of consent in MN. It appears that it is 16 as long as I am not in a “position of authority”. What is the definition of “position of authority”?
Asked on January 28, 2011 under Criminal Law, Minnesota
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
I think that the best thing for you to do is to seek legal consultation from an attorney in your area just for peace of mind. Minnesota's statutes for Statutory Rape seem to be based upon not only the age of the victim but the disparity in age between the victim and the rapist. Please note that I am not intending to place you in that category just giving you an idea of what is at stake here. It seems that when the older part is more than 2 to 3 years older than the younger party it can be an issue. Minnesota does use 13 as the base age. However, I am sure that there can be a multitude of other "crimes" such as contributing to the delinquency of a minor, sexual solicitation of a minor, etc., that can be charged as well. Stop seeing her.
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