Consequences of dating a minor

states, the laws have widely varied across the country in the past. While the unrestricted age of consent is between 16 and 18 in all U.S.

Unrestricted: age from which one is deemed able to consent to having sex with anyone else at or above the age of consent or the marriageable age if they must be married.

Restricted by authority: younger partner is deemed able to consent to having sex with an older one as long as the latter is not in a position of trust or authority, or is not recognised to be abusing the inexperience of the younger one.

Restricted by age difference: younger partner is deemed able to consent to having sex with an older one as long as their age difference does not exceed a specified amount.

In some places, civil and criminal laws within the same state conflict with each other. Depending on the jurisdiction, the legal age of consent is between 16 and 18. In the United States, each state and territory sets the age of consent either by statute or the common law applies, and there are several federal statutes related to protecting minors from sexual predators.