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Question: With parental consent, can a child at the age of 16 date someone who is over 18? Is it legal for a minor to date someone 18 or older if sex is not a factor and the minor has parental consent?

Answer: A parent cannot consent on behalf of a minor to sexual activity with that minor which would otherwise be illegal. A parent can consent, however, to a teenager dating someone 18 years or older as long as sexual activity is not involved.

Arizona Law says (ARS §13-1405) that it is generally illegal for anyone over 18 to have sex with a person under the age of eighteen. There are exceptions, however. These exceptions can be found in specific Arizona Laws (See ARS §13-1407(F) -- which sets out a relevant defense to the sexual offense in ARS §13-1405)

If all of the following are true, then it is not criminal for two teenagers to have sexual relations:

1. the minor (or the younger person) is at least 15 years old
2. the older person is less than 24 months older than the younger one
3. the activity is consensual
4. the older person is under 19 years of age or still in high school

Therefore, a 16 year old can have sexual relations with an eighteen year old as long as the activity is consensual and the 18 year old is less than 24 months older than the 16 year old. If the 16 year old turned 16 in July of 2001, and the eighteen year old turned 18 in June of 2001, they are 25 months apart in age and it is illegal.


Comments
21 thru 25 of 238 comments
On 07/20/08
seneca from ID said:
I think that it fine for a 16 year old or under is able to date a person over 18 beucase the parents give consent, then they really do trust there daughter or son! And you can fall in love with someone older than you, there is no boundries on love, and age is just a number, that counts the amount of breath you take, when it really should be the number of times that take your breath away!!
On 07/16/08
hollie from PA said:
i think that the dateing laws are stupid and that if their is only a few years apart it shouldnt matter and cuz of it i cant date my love any more thats messed up
On 07/15/08
mae from MS said:
is think its crazy that minors cant date 18yearsold my boyfriend is turnin 18 soon and now we cannot date or can we??
On 07/10/08
cc from FL said:
wat is up with this law....i think minors should have boundries and crap but we should have th right to be able to say who we can have sexual contact with and who we can't...it is our bodies our situation our problem if there is one....this law is stupid they don't have any right to say who we can and cant date!!!
On 07/01/08
yari from FL said:
i think this is da dumbest law EVER!!!!!!! i mean jusr stupid. since when is it up to sum dude to tell us who we cant or cant date love is love point Blank!!
21 thru 25 of 238 comments



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