The age of consent for both heterosexual and homosexual relations in Maine is 16. This is the age at which a person may legally consent to sex with someone over the age of 21.

In many cases, Maine law permits sexual relations between adolescents, as long as both are aged 14 or over and the age difference is no more than 5 years. This “age differential” test is a feature of the age of consent laws in 27 states. It states, for example, that a 15-year-old girl can legally consent to have sex with her 17-year-old boyfriend, but not with a 22-year-old.

A different set of rules comes into play when one partner is in a position of power over another, such as a teacher, employer, coach or minister. The age of consent in those situations is usually 18 years old, but occasionally 21.

The penalties for violating the Maine age of consent laws are harsh. Under Maine law, the crime of gross sexual assault occurs when a person has sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 14. The sentence for this crime is up to 40 years in prison.

A lesser offense is sexual abuse of a minor, which occurs when someone has sexual intercourse with a partner who is either age 14 or 15. The offender must be at least 5 years older than the victim. The sentence is up to 1 year in prison if the offender is 5 years older than the victim. If the offender is at least 10 years older than the victim, the sentence is up to 5 years in state prison.

You must be at least 18 to marry in Maine. Individuals who are between 16 and 18 may marry only with the consent of both parents. Individuals under the age of 16 require the consent of the parents, plus the consent of a judge to marry.  

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 9th, 2006 at 1:13 pm and is filed under Age of Consent Laws, Family Laws. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.