Q: When did it become punishment by law to molest a child in California ? My family believes this was not punishable unt
My mom is a victim of child molestation and my family defends the man who did it- he remains in the family
A: The age of consent, at the time applying only when the girl is the younger party, was 10 when California introduced its Penal Code in 1850. In 1889 the age of consent was raised to 14. In 1897 the age of consent became 16. The age of consent in California has been 18 since 1913. Some media sources reported that the age of consent in California in the 1970s was 14 or 16 but in fact it was and has been 18. [Palmer, Brian. "What's 'Unlawful Sexual Intercourse'?" Slate. September 28, 2009]
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