Q: Can a 17 and 20 year old date?
I live in Iowa, I’m a 17 year old female and want to date and possibly have sexual relations with a 20 year old male. is this legal?
A:
The Age of Consent in Iowa is 16 years old.
In the United States law, the term "Age of Consent" describes the age at which an individual, male or female, is considered legally of age to consent to participation in sexual activity. This means that individuals less than 16-years-of-age cannot consent to participation in sexual activity. Put differently, participating in consensual sexual activity with someone 15-years-old or younger can result in a criminal prosecution for statutory rape.
In Iowa, a person is guilty of statutory rape if they have consensual sexual intercourse with an individual under the age of 16. It is also illegal for a school employee to have sexual intercourse with a student, including a student who has graduated less than 30-days prior.
A close age exemption applies to teens aged 14 and 15 to consent to having sexual relations with a partner who is less than four years older.
Because you are 17-years old, you are considered by the State of Iowa, old enough to consent to sexual activity.
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