Lohkee wrote:
ETA: What many do not understand is that the age of consent is much lower in the U.K.

Not only that, there are exceptions that would shock the average American. Perhaps Studio will chime in on this one.

Law in the UK is pretty clear and has been since mid Victorian crimes.

Age of consent is 16. The age for valid marriage is 16.
Age at which it becomes rape is 13. From 13 to 16 you are charged with a criminal offence for having sex with a minor - carries a sentence of many years in prison. Below 13 max sentence is life.
There is a defence if the perp is under 18 (until 2003 was 21) and the victim is over 13.
If the victim is over 13 and you can say with reasonable grounds (and that's a tough test - which means more than just asking them their age) that you honestly believed that they were over 16 then you have a defence.This used to be a one time only (ie you could come to court the once and claim "I didn't know" after that you were assumed to have known) - has been replaced by a law on honest belief which could be run multiple times potentialls but at the risk of stretching credulity.

That's comparable to many states in the USA - more restrictive than some, less restrictive than others.

Virtual Studio wrote:
Law in the UK is pretty clear and has been since mid Victorian crimes.

Age of consent is 16. The age for valid marriage is 16.
Age at which it becomes rape is 13. From 13 to 16 you are charged with a criminal offence for having sex with a minor - carries a sentence of many years in prison. Below 13 max sentence is life.
There is a defence if the perp is under 18 (until 2003 was 21) and the victim is over 13.
If the victim is over 13 and you can say with reasonable grounds (and that's a tough test - which means more than just asking them their age) that you honestly believed that they were over 16 then you have a defence.This used to be a one time only (ie you could come to court the once and claim "I didn't know" after that you were assumed to have known) - has been replaced by a law on honest belief which could be run multiple times potentialls but at the risk of stretching credulity.

That's comparable to many states in the USA - more restrictive than some, less restrictive than others.

I'm not disagreeing with anything you've stated. The age of consent in the U.S. is indeed all over the board. That said, I suspect that if you asked the average American they would automatically say 18 because that is some kind of a magical number for some reason in the U.S. which was really my point in making mention of it at all.

Go across the pond and it's really crazy - anywhere from 14 to 18 depending on the country.

With regard to the U.K. you are (currently) correct. There is some movement to lower it from 16. Considering that an estimated 50% of Brits have lost their virginity by 14, there may be some merit to that argument in terms of health care, etc.

Regardless of the law, prosecutions are pretty rare. One of those nudge, nudge, wink, wink sort of things. No one is going to jail unless someone (usually a parent) wants to really make a huge issue out of someone boinking their kid.

And let us not forget the gillick defense.

Lohkee wrote:
Regardless of the law, prosecutions are pretty rare. One of those nudge, nudge, wink, wink sort of things. No one is going to jail unless someone (usually a parent) wants to really make a huge issue out of someone boinking their kid.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic … e-God.html

I cant work out why we haven't heard of at least an investigation into Bill Wyman.

Virtual Studio wrote:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic … e-God.html

I cant work out why we haven't heard of at least an investigation into Bill Wyman.

I think it goes back to the nudge, nudge, wink, wink sort of thing.

Lohkee wrote:
This post is not directed at anyone in particular.

With all of the angst and "think about the children!"  I often wonder how many of us could **honestly** say that we have never had "illegal" sex with an under-aged partner?

Eeew, me, I don't fuck kids. No appeal in it to me whatsoever.

JadeDRed wrote:

Eeew, me, I don't fuck kids. No appeal in it to me whatsoever.

What about when you were under 16?

I think lots of girls in their teens fuck (other) kids.

Lohkee wrote:
This post is not directed at anyone in particular.

With all of the angst and "think about the children!"  I often wonder how many of us could **honestly** say that we have never had "illegal" sex with an under-aged partner?

Is it illegal to have sex with, say, a 16 year old if you're also 16?

Alabaster Crowley wrote:

Is it illegal to have sex with, say, a 16 year old if you're also 16?

Depends on the country / state.

Most places the answer is "yes" usually with a "but..." following which gives a reduces penalty, defence for a first offence or similar.

Lohkee wrote:
This post is not directed at anyone in particular.

With all of the angst and "think about the children!"  I often wonder how many of us could **honestly** say that we have never had "illegal" sex with an under-aged partner?

I can say that.

Virtual Studio wrote:

Depends on the country / state.

Most places the answer is "yes" usually with a "but..." following which gives a reduces penalty, defence for a first offence or similar.

So just no one is allowed to have sex until everyone involved is 18?

Alabaster Crowley wrote:

So just no one is allowed to have sex until everyone involved is 18?

In theory....

This is where it all starts to look a little bit silly.

You need laws to protect the young from older people. However those laws need to be applied with common sense.

Hard laws applied rigidly end up with stupid outcomes.

Virtual Studio wrote:

Depends on the country / state.

Most places the answer is "yes" usually with a "but..." following which gives a reduces penalty, defence for a first offence or similar.

BUT............. If the age of consent is 16 how is the law being broken?

AdelaideJohn1967 wrote:

BUT............. If the age of consent is 16 how is the law being broken?

I think she was assuming the USA where it tends to be 18 in lots of states.

Virtual Studio wrote:

I think she was assuming the USA where it tends to be 18 in lots of states.

Yes but even then shit happens and people get arrested..... Why is that?

Virtual Studio wrote:

In theory....

This is where it all starts to look a little bit silly.

You need laws to protect the young from older people. However those laws need to be applied with common sense.

Hard laws applied rigidly end up with stupid outcomes.

Chuckles. And we haven't even touched upon how easy it is to get put on the sex offenders registry which can have a severe impact on a person's life.