A number of states, including Minnesota, set the age of consent at 16. This is the age at which a man or woman may legally consent to sex, in most cases. It applies to heterosexual acts only. Along with many other states, the Minnesota age of consent laws for homosexual behavior have been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Minnesota age of consent laws take into consideration a variety of factors, including the age difference between the two partners. The laws are meant to prevent young people from being sexually exploited by adults, not to punish adolescents who are in consensual relationships. Generally, an individual between 13 and 16 years of age may have consensual sex with a partner who is no more than 24 months older, under Minnesota law.

The age difference is also a factor in sentences under the Minnesota age of consent laws. The crime of third-degree criminal sexual conduct is defined as sexual penetration with a) a victim under age 13 when the offender is no more than 36 months older or b) a victim aged 13 to 16 with an offender more than 24 months older. The sentence for an offender under section b) who is 25 to 48 months older than the victim is up to 5 years in state prison. The sentence for an offender more than 48 months older, or in section a), is up to 15 years in state prison.

Under Minnesota law, first-degree criminal sexual conduct is sexual penetration with a victim under the age of 13 and an offender more than 36 months older. The sentence for this crime is up to 30 years in state prison.

A number of other U.S. states also set the age of consent at 16 years old, including West Virginia, Vermont, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Nevada, New Hampshire, Mississippi and Michigan. In fact, 16 is the most common age of consent in the U.S. The age of consent for members of the U.S. military is 16. For U.S. citizens traveling outside the country, the age of consent is 18.  

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 9th, 2006 at 1:21 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.