Rape, Statutory

Sexual relations between a party the age of consent or older and a party under the age of consent, which is illegal. Sexual activity between such parties is against the law as it can never be consensual [Page 433]since one of the parties has been legally deemed incapable of agreeing to sexual activity. The act or acts are thereby taken as forced on the individual who is too young to understand or accede to such behavior. The person of consenting age can be charged with the crime of statutory rape even if no force was used to compel the underage party to participate. The age of consent varies by jurisdiction and ranges from 16 to 18 years in the United States. The sexual activity to which the term refers also varies and is defined by jurisdiction.