West Valley City, UT asked in Criminal Law for Utah

Q: I am 14 and my partner is 17 will there be any legal trouble when they turn 18

My birthday is in oct 18 theirs is in Nov 2

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1 Lawyer Answer
Lance E. Bastian
Lance E. Bastian
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Salt Lake City, UT
  • Licensed in Utah

A: Assuming I'm understanding correctly with your relative ages, that you will turn 15 in October and your partner will turn 18 in November, the answer is yes. Right now, until you turn 15, consensual sexual activity between you and your partner would be considered unlawful adolescent sexual activity, which would be a class B misdemeanor for your partner. Most consensual sexual contact after your partner turns 18 and until you turn 16 would then constitute unlawful sexual activity with a minor, which under the circumstances, would also be a class B misdemeanor for your partner. Once you turn 16, sexual contact would not be a violation of the law. And to be clear, this is all relative to Utah law. If you were to travel outside of Utah, you would be subject to local laws, which may be entirely different. The takeaway is that sexual contact between the two of you before you turn 16 could have real consequences for your partner.

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