Can an adult the age of 21 get into legal trouble for dating a 16 year old if that minor has permission from her legal guardian?
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Can an adult the age of 21 get into legal trouble for dating a 16 year old if that minor has permission from her legal guardian?
My daughter is 16 years old. Her boyfriend is 21. I have full custody as her mother. Her father is threatening to get this young man into legal trouble, and also get him into trouble with the U.S. Navy, as he is a nuclear electrician for the navy. is there any trouble he could get into with the navy or the law if her father decides to try something to force this legally and or with the navy?
Asked on December 1, 2011 under Criminal Law, Ohio
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Good question. As you are probably aware there are laws in every state in this country prohibiting intimate relations between an adult and a minor. In your situation, you are writing about a 16 year old and a 21 year old man.
If they are solely dating and not "intimate" then there is technically nothing illegal but then you get into the definition of "intimacy". There is a big difference between a 21 year old and a 16 year old at each of their stages in life at this time. Permission from the leagl guardian for the dating is helpful. However if a complaint is made to law enforcement by someone over the situation and gets forwarded to the district attorney's office, who knows if criminal charges will be filed against the 21 year old adult.
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